Professional development needs assessment (PDNA)
Professional development needs assessment, often known as PDNA, is a self-reflection tool that aims to empower and offer a framework for the professional development plan. The tool also allows a person to identify any accessible chances for professional progress. Furthermore, the tool identifies gaps in both abilities and information required for excellent job performance (Guskey, 2000).
Leadership and Management
Because the two are linked and compliment each other, leadership and management have always been seen similarly. But, unlike managers, leaders have followers rather than people who work for them. Planning, organizing, and controlling are all aspects of management. Managing, directing, and budgeting. Management also includes ensuring that tasks are completed within the stipulated timeframe. There is also focus on a task and work with the utilization of resources including time, money and human resource in management. Decision-making and problem solving are also critical in management. The manager usually, makes the decision, minimizes risks and uses subordinates as human resource (Bertocci, 2009).
Leadership
Leadership, on the other hand, involves motivation and empowerment of the team members to achieve the pre-set goals. The leader, in this case, leads by example and inspires the member by creating a conducive environment for the team's success. There is usually a vision, teamwork and relationship building to ensure successful leadership. Monitoring, coaching and persuasion are essential in leadership. Leaders also have followers, value achievement and only facilitate decision-making (Kippenberger, 2013).
Examples of Leadership and Management
Situations that require a leader can be in team nursing where the team leader leads by example by trust, inspiration and influence with a proactive strategy to facilitate decision-making and achievement of set goals. An example of a job task that requires a manager involves a business firm or nurse manager where the manager controls, rules, direct as he/she execute the organization's vision and mission (Bertocci, 2009).
Key Concepts
Nursing management involves an assigned position of the manager within the nursing hierarchy or organogram. The nurse manager is also expected to carry out certain duties and responsibilities and has the power to make decisions within the nursing fraternity under her/him.
Nursing leadership, on the other hand, may not command authority within the nursing profession. In fact, the authority or powers of nurse leaders usually come from their effectiveness in interpersonal skills, communication and the ability to influence other people. Nurses need to demonstrate leadership skills in almost all their experience throughout their career. Nurses can be mentors as they share knowledge. Nurses also require having excellent communication skills to be able to collaborate nursing activities among fellow nurses for the good of the patient. The communication concepts allow nurses to advocate for patients safety and high-quality nursing care for the patients (Bertocci, 2009).
Leadership Self-assessment
My personal leadership and communication skills have played a critical role in making me a good leader. My personal communication style, for example, allows workers to communicate freely with me on issues or concerns. My style allows me to be approachable and socially friendly to workers allowing employees to gain confidence and feel motivated in the achievement of the set goals. The workers feel secure around me and can comfortably raise their concerns without fear of being victimized or fired. My communication style also allows me to understand my work environment and at the same time enhance teamwork in the achievement of goals. The method also helps me to identify any issues like people's mood and reactions concerning issues and be able to solve workers' concerns whenever they come up (Kippenberger, 2013).
The ease of workers to approach me also allows me to get a lot of information about what is happening in the environment as almost all the workers are open to me as a leader. In fact, I can solve any problems concerning workers and make decisions after consulting with my workers, which result in great employee performance and motivation. My communication style has always been beneficial, especially in the provision of holistic nursing care to patients. Patients and relatives usually have psychosocial stress, which needs a nurse with good communication skill to intervene. My skills allow me to reassure both the patients or relatives as I allay anxiety resulting from the fear of the unknown (Iqbal, 2011).
My Leadership Style
My personal leadership style is democratic, also called participative leadership style. I highly value involving my workers in decision-making rather than deciding without other people's input. My leadership style also plays a role in boosting the morale of employees since they feel motivated because they are involved in decision-making. My workers always feel secure and that their opinion counts or matters. My leadership style requires minimal supervision because I believe employees like work and do not need to be coerced to work or achieve objectives, unlike an autocratic leader. My leadership and communication skills allow me to adapt to any situation, especially as a manager (Iqbal, 2011).
Skill Development
However, I would like to ensure I do not always mix emotions with work because it may disrupt the dynamics of the workplace. My leadership style has also been challenging, especially when I am required to make decisions within a short period where involving the workers seems impossible. However, for my future professional development, I would like to attend more leadership seminars and schools to ensure I know how to deal with or minimize my weaknesses as maximizing my strengths (Iqbal, 2011).
References
Bertocci, D. (2009). Leadership in Organizations: There is a Difference Between Leaders and Managers. New York: University Press of America.
Guskey, T. (2000). Evaluating Professional Development. California: Corwin Press Inc.
Iqbal, T. (2011). The Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Effectiveness. GRIN Verlag Inc.
Kippenberger, T. (2013). Leadership Styles. John Wiley & Sons.
