The interview takes place with a nurse leader who works as a supervising clinical nurse.
The goal of the interview is to acquire a full understanding of nursing leadership responsibilities and what they entail. The discussion's findings will provide practical knowledge for training novice students to assume leadership roles. The interview will include questions about the nurse leader's leadership style, traits associated with effective leadership, an organization's readiness for a nursing leadership position, and various techniques used by the leader to empower staff. The report will go over and evaluate relevant literature that supports the interview findings. Finally, there will be a reflection on the interview and its impact on the nursing students preparing for leadership positions in the future.<\/p>
The Interview Findings<\/h2>
Introduction<\/p>
The nurse leader has held the leadership position of supervisory clinical nurse for two years in the organization. Before assuming this job, he held a leadership position as a clinical consultant and a class representative in the medical college in his third year of study. He has worked as a nurse for nine years, for four of which he has been in nursing leadership positions. The organization prepared him for the post by giving him an orientation on what the area involved, what was expected of him, and the resources available to facilitate carrying out of roles associated with the position. The nurse leader was also provided with a manual on the tips of effective leadership. During the first two weeks, he was attached to a mentor, who was at the moment holding the position but was promoted to a higher rank in the organization. The interaction with the instructor gave him an experience regarding the position, how he would overcome challenges associated with leadership, and tips on how to influence colleagues into action.<\/p>
Leadership Style and Characteristics<\/h2>
The nurse leader adheres to democratic leadership style, whereby he allows his juniors to participate in decision-making by giving their views and opinions, but as the leader, he always makes the final decision. He explains that he has built trust with the nurses, as they are equally qualified; therefore, he uses this leadership style to listen and learn from them, to encourage innovation, to reduce resistance to change, and boost their morale while performing their duties (Lewis, 2014). Also, he has formulated an open door policy to facilitate communication of complaints and suggestions from the fellow nurses. It has fostered the commitment of the nurses to their duties and responsibilities, and it has made his supervisory role easy. The leader mentioned the following leadership characteristics as most important in achieving effective leadership; they include honesty, integrity, competence, courage, intelligence, creativity, and fairness (Metcalf & Benn, 2013). He stated that a leader must always inspire trust among followers and practice to base their decisions on their morals and values. The nurse leader further insisted that a leader must embrace most of the characteristics mentioned above when making decisions and solving problems in his\/her area of duty. He further added that a leader who embraces the above traits achieves effective leadership automatically.<\/p>
Techniques to Empower Staff\/Colleagues<\/h2>
The nurse head uses motivators such as recognition of staffs who exhibit acceptable behavior and perform exceedingly well in their duties. Also, in weekly meetings, he inspires the nurses that they can make it, and they have a mandate to give the best to the calling of being a nurse. The leader has always motivated the fellow nurses by ensuring their grievances are met, and their welfare is well taken off. He at times empowers his staff by delegating some of the tasks to some staffs. The main change the leader and the team have implemented this year is the private nursing room shift reporting system to bedside shift reporting. It was after the consideration by the nurse leader that shifts were being extended, resulting in the incursion of incidental overtime costs, increased medical errors, and ineffective communication between the incoming and outgoing nurses (Bendell & Little, 2015). The nurse leader together with other institution stakeholders, including the staff, has been working on implementing the change, which is finally in operation. On his part, he considers it as an achievement, as he was the originator and overseer of the idea implementation. Also, as a leader, he was able to influence the staffs into the change action, as the rate was resistance to change was minimal.<\/p>
Recommendations<\/h2>
The leader\u2019s advice to the novice nurse is that they must have the passion for the job and seek teamwork, be honest and respectful to the colleagues. Every day is a learning experience; therefore, they should not constrain themselves to what they know but should seek to learn from others to avoid stagnating on the same point. Finally, as a novice nurse, there is so much to learn from the seniors and experts in the unit; it is important to open the eyes and learn to set priorities such as delegating some tasks that can be handled by another person (Fein, Tziner, Vasiliu, & Felea, 2015). Also, there is a need to bond with the team to have an encouraging working environment and to move along with others in the team. The leader finally added that leadership is not a walk in the park; one must develop and demonstrate extraordinary abilities such as communication, problem-solving, integrity, and motivational skills to lure the team members towards the intended action.<\/p>
Literature Support for Democratic Leadership Style and Reward Power<\/h2>
In democratic leadership, ideas and opinions flow freely from the member, but the group leader exercises his\/her mandate of control and guidance. It has been regarded as the most efficient in achieving high productivity. Democratic leadership fosters and rewards creativity as well as ensures team members engage in the decision-making process. The leadership style has been known to result in the contribution of better ideas and more creative solutions to challenging situations, as members are allowed to share their thoughts. It further reduces resistance as members are more concerned with the results, since they are involved in the project. Before adhering to the democratic style, the leader must evaluate the members to ensure they have the capability and expertise to make a quality contribution towards decisions being made (Shapiro, Donaldson, & Scott, 2013). The leadership style increases the cohesion between the leader and the members due to high trust built and respect. It is highly recommended for scenarios or institutions where members are skilled, willing to learn from others, and eager to share their knowledge. The nurse leader is exercising expertise power, which is derived from his knowledge, skills, and competence, and utilizes them in influencing the colleagues. Expert power is based on the assumption that the leader has knowledge, skills, and expertise that no one else possesses in the organization. It is personal and most effective regarding managing people and building own personal brand as well as increasing influence and reputation at work.<\/p>
A Reflection and Impact of the Experience and the Assignment<\/h2>
The interview was a mind sharpener as fostered knowledge and confidence in dealing with senior nurses holding a leadership position. It further facilitated the acquisition of first-hand information, which is difficult to acquire from the books. The interaction with the nurse leader was quite educative, as it is a motivator for novice students to be ready for the positions without fear. Also, interviewing with the nurse leader was quite challenging at times, as he answered some of the questions in a hurry due to the numerous tasks ahead of him for the day, considering that the position is quite involving. In the future, it will be easy to assume leadership positions, as the interview as well as the assignment has laid out the basics of leadership. The tips and concepts discussed in this assignment are a significant tool for guiding nurses on the most effective leadership style and the type of power they are expected to practice in the nursing profession. It also lays down the most fundamental expectations of a nurse leader and how to influence and empower colleagues.<\/p>
Conclusion<\/h2>
In conclusion, nurses should be prepared to assume a leadership position in guiding their colleagues. A leader has a mandate of positively influencing and empowering the team members using motivating techniques such as allowing them to participate in decision-making and other significant projects in the organizations. Leadership based on a democratic style achieves high productivity as it boosts staff\u2019s morale and reduces resistance to change. Novice nurses must be willing to learn and prioritize as well as look forward to exercising expertise power in the future.<\/p>
References
Bendell, J., & Little, R. (2015). Seeking sustainability leadership. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 60, 13-26.
Fein, E., Tziner, A., Vasiliu, C., & Felea, M. (2015). Considering the gap between implicit leadership theories and expectations of actual leader behaviour: A three-study investigation of leadership beliefs in Romania. Journal of East European Management Studies, 20(1), 68-87.
Lewis, L. (2014). Uniting States sharing strategies: Oregon takes the lead in addressing the nursing shortage. The American Journal of Nursing, 110(3), 51-54.
Metcalf, L., & Benn, S. (2013). Leadership for sustainability: An evolution of leadership ability. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(3), 369-384.
Shapiro, S., Donaldson, N., & Scott, M. (2013). Original research: Rapid response teams seen through the eyes of the nurse. The American Journal of Nursing, 110(6), 28-34.
