the importance of nursing leadership skills that contribute to the provision of quality health care
Introduction
Strong leadership is critical if the health care system is supposed to achieve quality health care. Not all nurses begin their careers and training with a vision of becoming leaders. However, there is an increased demand for quality health care. Providing quality health care demands that nurses display leadership skills that can help them serve as partners besides other health practitioners and professionals. This paper is an analysis of leadership skills. It sheds light on the importance of nursing leadership skills that contribute to the provision of quality health care. This paper is also a synthesis of personal skills in so far as leadership is concerned.
Comprehension: What are the findings of the questionnaires?
Following the structure of the questionnaire, below are the findings deduced; The leadership strength questionnaire used tested the strength in five main areas. Nursing leaders use the survey to test their abilities to implement, innovate, encourage, analyze, and mediate. In an assessment of the rank order, I came up with the following scores.
For the part that tests a leader’s ability for implementation, I scored 25. A score of 25 on the implementation scale proves alot of things. Firstly, the rating on implementation demonstrates that I am an active participant in taking up new projects. In terms of projects, I emphasize so much on the details. The score also means I am good at taking up new challenges and not pulling out until the end of the task. It is doubtful for me to shift tasks for fear of failure.
In the second test, I scored 25, which is a high score. As a leader, I am capable of coming up with innovative ideas and encouraging those I lead to come up with new ideas. These new ideas can create solutions to the problems we face in our nursing environment each time. Even though I am not that good at brainstorming as a way of innovating ideas, I take a lot of time researching.
For the part of encouragement, I have the least score of 23. It analyzes that as a leader, I cannot convince co-workers whenever they feel discouraged, especially when they are frustrated with the nursing environment. I don’t remember going out of my way to help or inspire others. As a leader, I put so much effort into the projects that I rarely have time for my fellow workers. In terms of problem analysis, I have a score of 26. A score of 26 is a correct finding since I can examine a lot of complex issues within a brief duration of time. Still, under analysis, I always try to solve complex problems almost immediately before they elevate and become serious problems.
Like I scored low on encouragement issues, the same findings appear on matters of mediation. I haven’t done much in mediating between people, which justifies the outcomes of mediating scores. I prefer to use authorities higher than me to solve conflicts. I choose to refer to higher authorities for decision because solving conflicts create grudges which do not like.
Application: Discuss how your identified traits and strengths enhance your ability to lead? How can your identified habits and weaknesses impede your ability to lead?
Many traits are related to the provision of effective leadership, especially in a nursing environment. Nurses require leadership skills to contribute to active patient safety and quality care. I have displayed strength in three key leadership areas, which include; The ability to implement tasks within the required target, creatively come up with innovative ideas, and the trait to provide the analysis necessary to situations (Holmes, 2017). These strengths can help me improve quality care in the following ways;
Firstly, the ability to implement tasks within the required time is a strength that contributes to quality care. The fear of failing to meet set target tasks within the estimated time helps me become a better leader by allowing me to take an active role in a lot of nursing projects. Taking an active part as a nursing leader increases the ability of leadership. Followers, clients, and other stakeholders do not feel that you are making a laid-back posture. An active role in tasks also enhances leadership skills through proving responsibility (Holmes, 2017). If a project fails, a manager within the nursing institution would want to get a convincing explanation. Being a leader taking responsibility allows stakeholders to believe in me and trust me with other projects.
Another strength displayed in my leadership qualities is creativity. Creativity enhances leadership skills by creating a way to solve complex issues. The ability to innovate enhances leadership skills by making followers of a leader feel accepted. To develop innovative ideas, there is a need to listen to other creative ideas. Creative ideas could come from those below and those above you in the leadership structure. Listening to ideas from those below in the leadership structure encourages them to develop innovative ideas that are suitable for solving complicated tasks. As a leader innovation also helps raise confidence levels. For a nurse, a high confidence level is required to help make critical health care decisions. Innovation also improves my leadership skills by allowing me to expand opportunities, thereby, growing my nursing knowledge and network.
Apart from the strength of innovation, another advantage is situational analysis. Nursing leadership is an area where critical decisions are made within a short time. A nursing decision could save the life of a patient or make the patient lose their lives. Having a talent in analyzing situations makes me, as a leader, make accurate decisions within a short time (Tully, & Boswell, 2017). If I am a leader in the future, my followers can trust me with situational analysis.
My weakness impeding my leadership skills
Weakness in encouraging others within the same work station impedes my leadership skills. It makes me someone who cannot mentor others. Mentorship is beneficial in developing leadership skills (Tully, & Boswell, 2017). Mentorship works both ways by being a mentor and being mentored. Inexperienced nurse trainees and others within my workstation might not be patient enough with me. It also makes it difficult for me to learn from others. The inability to encourage others also limits the way I connect emotionally to them. Learning other’s emotions helps in learning their strengths and weaknesses. As a leader, learning the strength and weaknesses of others informs your decision on assigning tasks. The deficiency in solving conflicts impedes my leadership skills, as explained above.
Analysis/Synthesis (Comparison to another nurse)
Wilmoth Margaret operates in the institute of nursing and holds a PHD in nursing. She is a registered nurse and has a lot of experience in leadership nursing. Wilmoth experiences a challenge in connecting emotionally to those that she leads. Although she has been a mentor, Wilmoth emphasizes that she focuses on professional aspects of leadership that she rarely encourages others emotionally. Her success in achieving tasks compensates her weakness. I get my inspiration from Wilmoth. I focus on functions and responsibilities rather than the emotions of those I work with in the same environment.
PLAN TO DEVELOP STRENGTH AND LIMIT WEAKNESS
The first part of my plan is to write down my goals.
My leadership goals include;
To sharpen my leadership strengths (The ability to implement tasks, the ability to innovate new ideas, and the talent to analyze situations and make critical decisions).
The second part of the plan is to join leadership seminars organized by the university, which are suited to accommodate every interested student. Apart from the university’s leadership program, I would also attend a leadership program tailored for nurses organized annually by Robert Wood foundation at Wisconsin University. I have to visit their program after graduation from my nursing training.
The other part of the plan is to collect all the resources required to undertake the training for the three months. One of the requirements is that one has to be a registered nurse and graduated from a nursing school. Putting all the required resources is a positive step towards achieving my action plan.
The last part of the plan is to test my skills in a nursing environment full of health care activities. The above action plan gives a complete road map for achieving my leadership goals and become the nurse leader; I have always wanted to be.
Evaluation: Summarize the value of examining your leadership traits and strengths
There is a lot of value in knowing one’s leadership traits and strengths. Firstly, knowing one’s leadership traits allows them to accomplish individual goals in regards to nursing leadership. Secondly, Knowing one’s leadership ability helps the individual align his skills to an organization interested in a talent like theirs (Vitello-Cicciu, 2019). Knowing your leadership skills also help convince others that you are an exceptional nurse. It is important to note that it takes uniqueness to become a nurse leader; one can only know their abilities by conducting a specific check of themselves.