NURSING AND LEADERSHIP

Nursing and Leadership

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Nursing and Leadership

Graduates that leave from nursing school after acquiring all the necessary knowledge and training about nursing practice, tend to get into the field without having one thing that is the leadership skill. In today's world, leadership is highly integral part of any field or work. Leadership skills allow making decisions on their own and motivating others so that they can improve their work and performance. Moreover, leaders provide their subordinates with a better work environment and an open platform for communication and discussion. Leaders are also responsible for the safety of their subordinates as well as other stakeholders' within their work settings.

According to a study, most nurses described their duties as supporting and leading work process in close co-operations among other nurses and health care professionals. One of the strategies to exert leadership is by acting as a nurse coordinator by helping to motivate and inform nursing assistant, and to inform them about patient care. They can also take the initiative to carry out their work and solve problems without involving their line managers. Moreover, they can initiate into a leadership role by creating good work environment for both their colleagues and their sub ordinates. This can be done by creating a good relationship with their colleagues and junior nurses. Furthermore, communication is an important aspect of nursing through constant communication with their managers, subordinates, and other health care professionals, nurses can take on a leadership role (Johansson et al, 2010). Discussion between nurses and other health care professionals is crucial as it provides a platform to discuss various ethical as well as medical dilemmas. In order for nurses to partake in a leadership role requires an open work environment where nurses can express their opinions and problems easily with other colleagues. The findings of one study have implication for health care managers in terms of implementing strategies to improve intra disciplinary and interdisciplinary communication, and a safe atmosphere where nurses can without fear of reprisal or embarrassment communicate openly on any patient-related issues. Moreover, the study concludes that changes in the areas of communication strategy and openness are evident, so that the nurses require more training in building up communication within a team.

It is important for nurses to engage in interdisciplinary teams, since interdisciplinary teams seem to enhance patient care along with improving access to wide-ranging services. Moreover, nurses that work with such interdisciplinary teams are demonstrating greater levels of autonomy in their work, and by working in teams, their decision making capabilities also gets enhanced. This will also reduce the discrepancies between a nursing coordinator and nursing subordinate. Furthermore, interdisciplinary teamwork in nursing also enhances primary care for patients, and the whole community can benefit from better services and few complaints in primary care. While acknowledging that there are many challenges for nurses to overcome as primary care continues to develop, there is clear evidence to support teamwork (O'Neill & Cowman 2008). Emphasis on developing self-awareness as a leadership ...