Leadership Key insights

  Nurse leaders are considered the centerpieces in facilitating nurses to promote professional growth and reduce nurse burnout (Wei et al., 2020). Nurse leaders influence to gather nurses together and work collaboratively. In healthcare, transformational leaders are the most favorable leadership style (Jean, 2021). Transformational leaders have a vision in mind and inspire their teams to reach the organizations and their personal goals (Jean, 2021). According to Wei and colleagues (2020), the transformational leadership style helps relieve burnout symptoms. This can be achieved when nurse leaders are role models for self-awareness, transparency, and high moral standards (Wei, 2020). Self-awareness may be performed through education, competency, and mentorship. Transparency helps build trust between the leader and employees. Leaders who hold employees accountable for high moral standards create an environment where there is respectful communication (Wei, 2020). Applying a transformational leadership style can help influence with decreasing nurse burnout. As this motivates and inspires nurses (Lehmann-Willenbrock, 2015).

BUY ESSAY

Leader Example

          I recall my former manager for the cardiac step-down unit, Shannon Cauthen. She was a great leader who successfully utilized transformational leadership styles. She was emotionally and culturally intelligent and communicated effectively. I recall one particular situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shannon stepped in and assisted her staff. The house supervisor informed her that the night nurses would be out of the ratio and have to take a 1:4 nurse-patient balance. She was determined to help and support her team. She attempted to have other nurses come in and pick up extra. When no one was able to go in, she was determined to come in and assist the night team. She went home after work, changed into her scrub, came in for the night shift, and helped the nurses and aides. Though it had been many years since she worked bedside, she gave the team a great example of being a team player. Her showing up to help her team boosted many coworkers’ morale.

         Transformational leaders know how to encourage, inspire, and motivate employees(Lehmann-Willenbrock et al., 2015). They also have a trait of functional problem-solving communication, which was witnessed in this scenario (Lehmann-Willenbrock, 2015). We felt confident that our leader would always support us during our most challenging times and come up with a solution in rising situations. This action helped build a great work community against our staff.

References

Wei, H., King, A., Sewell, K., Lake, D. & Jiang, Y. (2020) The Impact of Nurse Leadership Styles on Nurse Burnout. Leadership, 25(5), 256-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.04.002Links to an external site.

Jean, Joelle. (2021). Five Healthcare Leader Styles. Dignity Health Global Education. Retrieved on December 14, 2022, from https://dhge.org/about-us/blog/5-healthcare-leadership-styles-you-should-try-as-a-nurseLinks to an external site.

Lehmann-Willenbrock, N., Meinecke, A. L., Rowold, J., & Kauffeld, S. (2015). How transformational leadership works during team interactions: A behavioral process analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(6), 1017-1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.07.003

A successful leader in a health care organization must juggle many tasks, duties, and communication skills. It is imperative that a manager or administrator with qualities that positively influence workers is placed into these leadership roles (Broome & Marshall, 2021). Not all leaders are created equally, however, a great leader can be created. Transformational leadership is a leadership style which empowers their workers to develop their full potential (Labrague et al, 2020). These behaviors can lead to improvement in work behaviors such as safety and can even lead to decreased patient safety events (Labrague et al, 2020).

A true leader encompasses qualities that have a profound impact on individuals in the organization. These leaders motivate others and inspire a vision (Broome & Marshall, 2021). They act as a role model and gain respect through actions (Labrague et al, 2020). They work towards motivating others to reach their full potential and consider their professional needs (Labrague et al, 2020). And most importantly, they form authentic relationships with those around them to cultivate an understanding and caring nature (Broome & Marshall, 2021).

It is known that transformational leadership can enhance commitment and loyalty to an organization (Labrague et al, 2020). However, a transformational leader will inspire workers to pursue higher paying jobs, higher education, and leadership opportunities (Anselmann & Mulder, 2020).

My current leadership encompasses many of the traits and qualities that are previously mentioned. They will often come out of the office and help out the unit when admissions come, there is increased acuity, or when anyone asks them to help. Respect is earned through these actions as they provide assistance and organization in chaotic situations and have not lost their skills. They also inspire staff to achieve their highest potential and have inspired me to pursue my advanced degree. If there is ever a time someone decides to pursue a dream which requires them to leave, it is never met with anything but support. Staff feel comfortable going to them with any concerns or issues and I think they are fair and do not give anyone special treatment. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to call them my bosses and because of this, I have not left my job in ten years. In addition to this, they know I am pursuing my advanced degree and have mentioned that they would assist me in finding a job when I am done. To me, this is an example of a supportive environment that inspires me to work hard each and everyday that I go to work.

References

Anselmann, V., & Mulder, R. H. (2020). Transformational leadership, knowledge sharing and reflection, and work teams’ performance: A structural equation modelling analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(7), 1627–1634. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13118

Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.

Duggan, K., Aisaka, K., Tabak, R. G., Smith, C., Erwin, P., & Brownson, R. C. (2015). Implementing administrative evidence-based practices: Lessons from the field in six local health departments across the United States. BMC Health Services Research, 15. doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0891-3

Labrague, L. J., Nwafor, C. E., & Tsaras, K. (2020). Influence of toxic and transformational leadership practices on nurses’ job satisfaction, job stress, absenteeism and turnover intention: A cross‐sectional study. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(5), 1104–1113. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13053

Transformational leadership is a behavior-based approach to obtaining performance beyond workers’ basic expectations and striving for excellence (Boamah et al., 2018). Transformational leadership is key to providing the best patient care and preventing adverse outcomes. Nurse Managers that include nurses in decision-making and listen to the needs of nurses while influencing a work environment that empowers nurses are an essential part of promoting job satisfaction and improved patient outcomes (Boamah et al., 2018). Shirley et al. (2017) found that quality leadership is necessary to promote a healthy work environment for nurses. Nurse leaders that form relationships with nursing staff that foster emotional support and understanding improve job satisfaction. Maintaining a positive attitude while remaining focused on goals, being approachable, and having emotional intelligence are essential characteristics of a nurse leader. I have experienced negative and positive nurse managers in my nursing career. Transformational leadership changes harmful work environments to positive ones and improves patient outcomes (Shirey, 2017).

I work in a medical unit, and the first nurse manager was a nurse with two years of experience. She was focused on fertility treatments and was not present in the unit. The nurses on the unit were often frustrated, and some quit to find other jobs or were highly critical of new nurses, which caused them to transfer to other units. Nurses rarely volunteer for overtime, leaving the unit understaffed, and nurses from other units dreaded working shifts on our unit because of the hostile atmosphere and heavy workload. When the manager left the position, a new nurse manager was hired. Initially, the staff nurses had a negative view of the new leader even though she vowed to change the unit’s culture and advocate for the staff nurses. The new nurse manager sought a relationship with the nurses on both shifts, inquired about our experience on the unit, and asked for suggestions on improving working conditions. She promised that she would lead the unit to be the best in the hospital and do everything she could to ensure that nurse needs were met.

One of the first things she changed was the schedule. Nurses could make their schedule in the scheduling system if they had a preferred work schedule. She also advocated for higher pay for nurses that worked overtime on the night shift, which improved staffing. The medical unit became a test unit for new unit procedures and policies for the entire hospital system. The hospital administrators would visit our unit and ask the nurses about the new policy to determine if the new policy was effective and if any changes needed to be made. When new policies improved the unit, the unit’s pride increased, leading to higher nurse retention because nurses felt supported and important. The nurse manager displayed charisma when she spoke of her vision of improving the medical unit and influenced the staff nurses to participate in changing the unit and have high expectations of success (Marshall & Broome, 2020, p. 16).

Her leadership skills improved the nurse’s morale, confidence, and job performance. Patient falls decreased on the unit, the unit remained fully staffed, and many of the new policies tested on the unit were improved or scrapped if they did not improve workflow or patient care. Her leadership is a positive example of how transformational leadership can change work satisfaction, positively affecting patient care.