Nursing Leadership: a Role Development for The Practical Nurse

Nursing leadership, as is stated in this essay, is realy important in all nursing roles at all levels within an organization and across all domains of practice, nurses use direct practice, education, research, and administration in leadership roles. Nurses uses specialized knowledge, judgment, skills, and clinical experience to perform leadership roles. Leadership in nursing is a process that involves influencing the thinking and actions of others with respect to achieving definite goal. Leadership in nursing involved been truthful, respect, and have good communication skills, and an excellent understanding of developing their future career in the health care field.” A motivational nurse uses transactional leadership to pass information when delegating a controlled act and give demonstration which serves as a role model; which means, (do everything you ask others to do). They recognized their short coming; these Leadership characteristics attributes includes intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, sociability. 

Motivational nurse leadership manage crisis, demonstrate intelligence, is self-confidence, they are self determined, recognizes leadership styles with patients and team members, and also demonstrate integrity and are sociable. Nursing leadership implement strategies to integrate and optimize the nurse practitioner role within healthcare teams and systems to improve client care. Coordinate interprofessional teams in the support of and provision of patient’s needs. A good nurse leader is an “Olympic Thinker” that requires nurturing of an inspired vision for the future, maintaining a burning desire (i.e., a passion) for the ambient of duty.

Leadership Qualities in Action

The leadership of the primary nurse was demonstrated when she implemented a purposeful action by delegating me to change the IV bag of my assigned patient when the bag was almost empty, she delegated me to monitor for the right time to change the bag, as a student nurse; I was under the supervision of the primary nurse and my instructor, the NS of 0.9% was running at the rate of 100ml/hr., of which I reset the pump and got it running, it was a successful procedure; a controlled act and nursing skills that involves a direct practice. The Leadership qualities was also demonstrated here by been a motivational leadership managing crisis by transacting duties as required in the unit by passing the necessary information to me as required, serving as a role model. As a competent student nurse, core abilities that are required of me and I fulfilling my role as a student nurse. I was also delegated to take vital signs of other five patients, performed morning care, and monitor patients for any issues and for immediate concerns. I was able to perform these nursing skills independently in a safe and organized fashion; the leadership character that specks of been intelligence and self-confidence was implemented here and satisfactions from primary nurse is a confirmation that I performed the duties that was expected of me; this is also an evaluation of my competency and based on the standard of care of nursing.

A practice act was to be performed in one of the units where I did my placement in another occasion, one of the patient that was assigned to me needed a blood transfusion which was ordered by the physician because the haemoglobin count was low, the RN is to perform the controlled act and a another RN co-signed, the patient consent was obtained. I was delegated by the RN to prepare the patients, perform the vital signs before the procedure, monitor the patient while the infusion was flowing for any reaction, took another vital sign after 15 minutes of infusion and to keep monitoring the patient for any reaction signs; I kept monitoring the patients, and reported to primary nurse, nothing happened, patient tolerated the infusion and was fine. I document clearly, in accurate and timely manner the care given. In delegation a transfer of authority of a controlled act procedure from delegator to delegated includes teaching and can involve demonstration by the RN.. As a leader the RN demonstrated accountability for the delegation process by getting feedback from me, and I reported accurately fulfilling my competency as expected of me; thereby demonstrating a strong teamwork.

“Visualization of a preferred future enhances confidence, boosts motivation, and engages the individual in a practice or discipline that keeps the leader focused on the vision”. One of the Leadership qualities is to be passionate of what you do not because of the financial interest, this goes a long way in showing empathy and giving attention to the people we take for, that is been emotionally involved and at the same time taking the professional therapeutic action into consideration without violating confidentiality. 

Nursing is a profession and nurses have the primary responsibility for defining and providing nursing services, Effective nurses view their ability to understand & use power as a significant part of their responsibilities to clients, their coworkers, the nursing profession, & themselves. Effective nurses view their ability to understand & use power as a significant part of their responsibilities to clients, their coworkers, the nursing profession, & themselves.

Personal Viewpoint on the Topic

There are four kinds of power nurse’s leadership can exhibit to lead successfully they are one “legitimate power” which is derived from the position of authority a person holds, then two “referent (charismatic) power” which derives from how much others respect and like a person, a group, team members or organization, three “reward power” which derives from a person’s ability to bestow rewards on people, usually to influence them to change their behavior, but this is an uncertain instrument for long-term change. 

According to Kelly “Power is described as the ability to create, acquire, & use resources to achieve one’s goals'. My thoughts about the next stage in my education (consolidation), my entry into nursing profession, and future career is that as a good leader. I will be in the move always to take power when opportunities are present to extend and expand my influence, learn the art of networking, work in order to stand out, and volunteer and take risks. I will have to persist even when I fail, staying focus, been accountable and honest. The experiences, skills and knowledge I acquired both in my clinical placement, and working as a PSW/DSW in the community and in different facilities for many years, the challenges I have overcome in this passed years has impacted, sharpened, and change me in a positive perspective way of dealing with issues as they arises. I will continue to develop knowledge, skills and leadership qualities to remain competent in my day to day practices as a nurse by making sure I am always in the health care field, building my career by doing more research and see challenges as opportunity to get to greater level in life.

The actions and strategies I will implement to be successful in nursing is to take hold of any good opportunities presented to me extend and expand my influence, to have self-awareness of my actions, self-regulating, learning the art of networking, further my education to develop in my nursing career, work in order to stand out, volunteer and take risks, handle challenges as they arise, do more research; these and other are attribute of a motivational leadership skills I will need to work on and develop.

The professional, social, cultural, personal and environmental factors did not affect much in my clinical placement, in shift activities, and working in the unit; because in the hospital setting we have been thought on how to follow and abide by the policies of the facility, basically the environment was already set effectively and conveniently. From the knowledge and information that was shared in order to support the patients from instructors and RN was empowering during my placement in the units. The experiences I had in my clinical placement has given me the opportunity to grow in the health care field and acquired more skills in nursing. The passion to work for reasons that goes beyond money, interest to learn more, strong drive to achieve, optimistic and being positive even in the face of challenges and obstacles, are some of the tools I strongly believed will transform me into a good leader and to acquire more skills.

In conclusion, as stated at the beginning, “Nurses used specialized knowledge, judgment, skills, and clinical experience to perform leadership roles. Nursing leadership is important in all nursing roles at all levels within an organization and across all domains of practice: direct practice, education, research, and administration'. Therefore, leadership in nursing is needed for effective nursing practises. One of the seven CNO Professional Standards stated that nurse should demonstrates leadership by providing, facilitating and promoting the best possible care/service to the public. 

References

• Kelly, P., & Quesnelle, H 2016). Nursing Leadership and Management. (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education.
• Kozier, B., G., Berman, A., Snyder, S., Buck, M., Yui, L., & Stamler, L. (2018). Fundamentals of Canadian nursing (4th Canadian ed.) Toronto, ON: Pearson.
• College of Nurses of Ontario Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/en/learn-about-standards- guidelines/publications-list/standards-and guidelines.