INTRODUCTION Leadership may mean different things to different people, the consensus opinion of experts in this field is that leadership is using power to direct and influence activities of people to achieve set goals or targets. Nursing leadership is all about every nurse providing, facilitating and promoting the best healthcare services to client and to the public. Leadership is a shared responsibility. (CNO 2012). The nursing profession need leaders that can build the capacity of nurses through mentoring, coaching, supporting, developing the expertise and management skills of nurses to make a difference to the quality of patient care at all levels of the profession ( McIntyre & McDonald, 2014 ). At the core of every leadership either political or managerial is power and how the leader uses it. While it is practically impossible to lead without power, how the nurse leader uses this power not only determine the leadership style but also the results or outcomes of what is achieved through the process. The four major components of nursing leadership are decision-making ability, influencing and directing others, facilitating process and relationship building (Paul, Day, & Williams, 2016).Very closely associated with leadership is the concept of management and though many people use the two terms interchangeably, it’s very important to know that leading is one of the key functions of management; the others are planning, organizing and controlling activities to pursue
Nursing leaders are crucial to any nursing organization. They motivate, empower, influence, and communicate the organization’s vision to create change within the organization. Great nursing leadership depends on great nursing leaders. This paper will define nursing leadership and describe leadership characteristics. It will further depict the democratic style and transformational theory of nursing leadership. While exploring leadership in action, this paper will illustrate the aspects of nursing.
Leadership has been defined in a number of ways, but the concept is still indefinable (Barr and Dowding 2016). Buchanan and Huczynski (2010, p. 596) define leadership as “a process of influencing the activities of an organised group in its efforts towards goal-setting and goal achievement”. In clinical practice, leadership translates to an ability to direct other to achieve evidence-based practice that supports enhanced patient outcomes (Kelly-Hiedenthal 2004). Like any other industries and organisations, an effective leadership skill is vital in the healthcare sector to improve the standards of the care and to achieve organisational goals (Bach and Ellis 2015). Sullivan and Decker (2004) stated that nurses often step up to the
Leadership is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the power or ability to lead other people” (Merriam-Webster, 2017). A leader may also be thought of as a guide or a director. Our sixth president, John Quincy Adams quoted that "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader" (GovLeaders.org, 2017). But what makes a nursing leader? In the book “Leadership & Nursing Care Management”, Huber defines a nursing leader “…as the ability to inspire confidence and support among followers, especially in organizations in which competence and commitment produce performance” (Huber, 2014, p. 4).
First let’s start with the meaning of leadership. Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence the behavior of others (ATI leadership pg. 2). As a leader it is important to form goals and to follow through with them. As a nurse you are a part of a team and it is
For the place of employment in question, it is clear that nursing leadership is needed. To that end, there must be a program set out to ensure that nurses are getting the leadership skills they need. The purpose of this program will not only provide nurses with the skills they need, but will better prepare them to be leaders for nurses who are new and just coming into the facility. All nurses who are part of the facility and nurses that will be hired by the facility in the future can benefit from this program, because leadership has great advantages for nurses (D'Antonio, 2010). When nurses also focus on leadership, they are able to provide management functions like decision-making and governance. This gives nurses extra skills and teaches them to manage facilities and help make things better for the nurses as a whole (Judd, 2009). Often, when nurses need something from management that can make their jobs significantly better and improve their ability to care for their patients, they are unsure how to ask for what they need. Leadership skills can help them with that issue.
Leadership is more than delegate and dictate orders in Nursing, is also more than lead. Leadership is the ability to communicate with a people who work with you, and influence them so they show willingness to change, following orders. Leaders provide a sense of confidence and take responsibility when a particular situation demands. Leaders also do the right things, and know that even mistakes can be an opportunity to learn. They provide an analysis of the performance, preparation and assistance for professional development of people in a way that increases individual and organizational success. Leaders may effectively resolve disagreements and conflicts, and solve disputes by focusing on solving problems without offending coworkers. They provide support and expertise to other leaders and assess the appropriateness of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Confidence in a solid leadership is a reliable indicator of employee satisfaction in an healthcare facility. Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas is important to win the trust of the organization and partners. That can transmit power to the people under his command which helps them develop their potential to generate confidence in this initiative towards an ideal which allows them to accept mistakes.
With all the current changes currently in the health care field; health care professionals must have different attributes as well as different skills and knowledge in health care management to be a great leader not only empathetically towards the patients, staff but also within the organization, Health care management is a growing field, especially as more healthcare facilities adopt technology. Much of the day will require leader to improve efficiency and process in the healthcare setting, keep up to date on laws and compliance, manage staff schedules, be the face of the company at major meetings, and organize and manage the health records. Having great leadership skills in nursing means that, we as nurses have developed your own personal leadership skills and bringing them into the workplace. The top five skills needed in getting leadership role is of course the education
Leadership is the multifaceted process of identifying targets and goals as well as supporting and motivating other people to act towards achieving mutually negotiated goals. In nursing, these goals and targets include coordination of day and night shifts, patient care, and change management. As such, nurse leadership skills are essential to ensure staff morale, successful operation of the shift, and managing challenging or difficult situations. Nurse leaders are, but not limited to, senior, frontline, and middle managers, chief executives, policy makers, administrators, and leaders in regulatory bodies. Nurse leaders must utilize their characteristics to demonstrate effective leadership and thus influence change.
Leadership is about guiding and molding behavior (MacDonald, Burke, & Stewart, 2016). In nursing, leaders use the documented systems outlined in job aides and work flows to guide the work practices and behaviors of the staff to meet the goals of the organization (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The organization is only as effective as the structure and implementation of these systems (Marquis & Huston, 2015).
Nursing Management and Nursing Leadership while both having similar attributes are two different concepts, with two different characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, the Manager is more in charge of smooth operations, financing, and policy adherence, while a Leader is in charge of understanding current situations affecting healthcare, developing alternative and efficient changes, and promoting this changes for others to follow. There are multiple Management and Leadership qualities, in which ethical considerations must be addresses, this include promotion of quality services and performance, and meeting the needs of those of any culture who seek service. As new changes are so frequent in health care the Institute of Medicine have recommended a new form of leadership called Transformational Leadership, which have shown to be very efficient by implementing flexible and adaptable leadership. Nurse Leaders involves strategies, such as empowerment, organizational management, and more in Transformational Leadership to effectively communicate their vision for the future with others. To be an effective leader one must use competencies that are relevant in the field of nursing, such as being creative and developing interpersonal skills. Those individuals who desired to become Nurse Managers and Nurse Leaders should attend a development programs that focus in educating skills such as leadership skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal
In the past, present and future leadership provides a direction for nurses as it gives them the power to attract and influence people via their leadership. By taking up the role as a leader, the nurses would be able to ensure high quality care for their patients and for the future of
1997). Especially nursing , at this time of change and transition, is being asked to lead developments in quality of care and patient experience (DH 2010a, b). However, there is proof that, presently, front-line nurse leaders are unprepared to do so and do not think they have the authority to lead change, even within their own sphere of practice (RCN 2009).Many leadership development focuses on teaching models of leadership, which includes transactional and transformational approaches (McGuire 2003, Bass 2006, Northouse 2010. ) which may offer useful learning but do not always directly relay to the day-to-day challenges faced by nurses leading care in busy, and commonly stressful, healthcare settings. Davidson, Elliott, and Daly (2006) define "leadership as a complex process involving goal setting, motivating and supporting others to work towards collectively agreed to goals. Effective leader ship in this framework is least important than in contemporary nursing, with nursing settings and workplaces being symbolically likened to a perfect storm (Curtin, 2007; Hinshaw, 2008; Jackson &
The effectiveness of nurse leaders in delivering best healthcare in the future is a constant challenge within the nursing profession (Mahoney, 2001). Nurses must uphold leadership
Organizational structures play a vital role in the creation of the favorable environment for client centered care. It determines how information systems adopted are used. The organizational structure highlights the nature of communication within a company's decision-making techniques and habits of the health agency. Functional and service line structures are extremely prominent in health settings as they determine how activities are run within this industry.
Role models are the foundation of leadership. People are influenced by individuals that demonstrate the characteristics of trustworthiness and respect. This rapport needs to be established between nurses and nursing management. Being a recent graduate myself, I can say a lot of my skills that are being developed stem from the demonstration of my superior coworkers. Nursing management needs to understand the nurses, especially new nurses such as myself, are looking to them for guidance. Nursing administration or nursing management is a broad term that may refer to a number of management supervisory and executive titles including, nurse manager, nurse administration, nursing supervisor, director of nursing, vice president of nursing, chief nursing officer (CNO), so on and so forth. There is an importance for nurse leaders to be up to date on policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives. Healthcare requires nursing leadership professionals to lead a productive and efficient workforce that allows optimal patient care in a medical setting. Nursing leaders have the