The Interview with a Nurse Leader
The conversation took place in one of the health facilities with a nurse who has been the leader for the past six years. The interview's goal is to get a practical grasp of nursing leadership, what it entails, the preparation, motivation, and other important leadership attributes. The interview findings are useful for nursing students preparing for leadership positions in their nursing career. The article will explore the nursing leader leadership track, the leadership style he prefers, leadership attributes that are most important in people management, and how leaders should empower their followers. The nurse leader narrated her leadership journey as a nurse and important aspect that have always guided him. The leader began by introducing himself as the current clinical nurse director in Alpha hospital and has been a nurse leader eleven years in which six have in nursing leadership positions. Immediately after completion of medical studies, he worked as a regular nurse employee and was promoted after three years to a supervisor nurse leader in a previous health institution, and after two months he became a clinical nurse director. He has in the past held a formal leadership position as the coordinator of community society while in college.
The Leadership Style of the Nurse Leader
The previous institution prepared him for the supervisor nurse job by giving him one-week leadership orientation on what to expect, the organization expectation, common challenges associated with the leadership positions and how to handle the challenges. Also, he was introduced to resources available to facilitate his leadership and an administration manual to guide him throughout the period (Gregersen, Vincent-Höper, & Nienhaus, 2014). It better empowered him to take the position and to deliver efficient and effective leadership. The nurse leader stated that he utilizes democratic leadership style in carrying out his duties and responsibilities. As a clinical nurse director, he strives to make the best and most relevant decisions that are possible through a provision of an open forum where followers share their ideas and opinions towards decision-making. The decision-making process and change implementation begin by inviting team members to air their ideas and contribution regarding the process. After that, as the leader, he exercises his overall mandate of utilizing the most relevant ideas in implementing change. Democratic leadership style reduces resistance to change by allowing members to own the decision through participation in its implementation. The nurse leader explained that democratic leadership fits well in situations where team members are qualified and self-driven such as in nursing profession. Democratic leadership style enhances performance and productivity as followers are more committed to performing their tasks. Also, best decisions are made due to a comparison of various ideas as some members may be experts in some areas in formulating ideas.
Leadership Attributes Important in People Management
The nurse leader emphasized that having the right leadership traits fosters achievement of team goals and good influence. He elaborates that a leader should have communication skills to facilitate productive exchange with the team members, and motivational skills to facilitate personal drive of the members towards the intended action. Besides, problem-solving skills are useful for a leader to ensure proper address of challenges, while honesty and integrity traits help build a healthy relationship and trust with nurses and administration. Also, he mentioned about competency and fairness traits are crucial especially when a leader is faced with ethical dilemmas brought forward by the nurse regarding the patient and a decision requires to be made immediately. The nurse leader further added that nursing field where the leader must strive to make decisions and lead while applying morals and values (Bendell, & Little, 2015). A leader in the nursing field must embrace integrity, and the team members are highly qualified and require the leader to trust them and refrain from using coercive means when influencing them into action.
Motivation and Empowerment of Followers
The nurse director was concerned with a motivational aspect of leadership as he outlined that, motivation a critical aspect of driving followers into action. As for me, he fosters recognition of nursing departments that register the lowest number of complains incidents. He ensures the provision of incentives to the nurses and junior nurse leaders as a way of motivating them to work excellently and provide the best health care to patients (Choudhary, Akhtar, & Zaheer, 2013). Also, those who demonstrated a high level of discipline and undertake additional initiatives towards implementation of programs that improve organizational reputation and excellence are awarded a token at the end of the quarter. He further empowers his followers by ensuring their needs are addressed appropriately and assigning some tasks to them based on expertise and experience. Team members are also offered fringe benefits which include paid leaves and holidays.
The Implementation of Tabards to Reduce Medical Errors
The nurse leaders together with the staffs have facilitated a significant change which resulted in the reduction of medical errors during drug administration. The change involved the implementation of tabards that are currently worn by the nurse while administrating medication in the ward to avoid disruption. The nurse leader explained that he came up with the idea after noticing increased medical errors associated with drug administration. He started by assigning personnel to undertake research on the same and provide results, findings, and recommendation. The leader then shared the idea with the staffs which fostered the implementation and tabards were adapted. Medical errors associated with disruption during drug reduced to significant levels. The nurse leader advice to novice nurse leader is first to identify whether they have the right leadership traits and characteristics and seek to develop them as early as possible. Every day is a learning experience; therefore they should not constrain themselves to what they know but should strive to learn from others to avoid stagnating on the same point. Also, leadership orientation is necessary for a novice student leader to familiarize them with the environment that is the expectations, challenges, motivations, and resources that will be availed for them (Lewis, 2014).
Literature Support for Democratic Leadership Style and Expert Power
Democratic leadership involves the participation of members in the decision-making process where they share their ideas and opinion the subject of change. It is associated with decentralized organization structure where communications flow upward from the juniors or staffs to the leader and from the head to the junior team. Team members learn from each other. Although decision-making is slow due to consulting, it is associated with quality decisions as the most relevant ideas is utilized in the change implementation. Democratic leadership is related to high compliance of staffs, reduced resistance and significant influence of the leader (Kalisch, Friese, Choi, & Rochman, 2011). The nurse leader has been exercising the expert power which is derived from his skills, experience, and knowledge. The leader uses his responsibility of making the final decision after discussion with the members. Expert power cannot be taken away as it is derived from within. Expert power is based on the assumption that, the leader has knowledge, skills, and expertise that no one else posses in the organization.
Reflection and Impact of the Interview
The interview was quite educative and inspiring for a novice nurse leader preparing for similar roles. It brought out the applicability and practicability of theories learned in class. It improved the understanding of concepts of leadership and ways of achieving effective leadership as well the expectations of nurse leader and is expected of him or her. Besides, the interview findings outline and demonstrate the most appropriate leadership style and power a novice student leader should seek to adhere to in delivery of quality service.
In Conclusion
Leaders have a responsibility of using their skills, expertise, knowledge, and experience to influence the followers positively. Novice nurse leaders should seek to interact with experienced expert leaders in the nursing field to get oriented on what to expect and how to provide effective leadership to the nurse staff. Democratic leadership and reward power best fit a novice nurse leader in influencing colleagues. Leadership based on democratic leadership style achieves high productivity as it boosts staff morale and reduces resistance to change. Some of the significant traits crucial for a leader are competence, integrity, courage, honesty, intelligence, and fairness. The leader should treat all colleagues equally regardless of background, qualification, race, and gender. A leader should empower the followers towards the achievement of better performance and provision of quality care.
References
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Lewis, L. (2014). Uniting States, Sharing Strategies: Oregon Takes the Lead in Addressing the
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