Question:
Discuss how you will use your current leadership skill set to advocate for change in your workplace?
Answer:
The nurse managers have a critical influence in figuring up safe and sound working environments. Though not the real leader, but a nurse manager has one of the most unequivocal influence on the services and the care that are required by the patients and their families throughout their healings. They have a far-reaching objective with specific impacts on gaining a culture, which is professional enough in recruiting and retaining expert nurses successfully (Guyton, 2012).
Based on this inevitably crucial role, there has been developed a tool known as the Nurse Manager Inventory Tool which captures the behaviours and the skills for being a successful nurse manager. This inventory permits a nurse manager t carry out a kind of self evaluation which can be well paired up with the manager’s supervisor’s assessment of creating an individual development professional plan (Upenieks & Valdam, 2003). It is based on three domains which are developed by three of the national nursing associations. Based on the expertise in all these three domains, I have been able to evaluate myself as nurse manager successfully. My evaluations based on four key areas are as listed in the following reflections:
Personal and Professional Accountability
The major areas of evaluation under this head include the personal growth and development, ethical behaviour and practice, professional association involvement and certification. Based on the above mentioned areas, my growth rate, my educational advancement, I would rate myself as a novice. My ethical values and norms that would be required as a nurse are good enough to create the lead in myself. My membership with my professional institution facilitates my professional growth. Hence, I would call myself a competent in this field (Contino, 2004).
Career Planning
The major areas of evaluation under career planning include knowing my role, knowing my future and positioning me. As a nurse manager, it is very important to understand the current job and work towards it with complete dedication. The foresight includes positioning yourself in the long run, and aiming it with devotion. I fulfil all such requirements and have a clear objective and pathway defined for me. Hence, I would call myself an expert in this field (Sherman, 2007).
Personal Journey Disciples
Personal journey disciples include are shared leadership or council management, ‘action learning’ and the reflective practice as the major key areas. For the leadership behaviour, knowledge and the skill in the managing councils is very crucial. I find myself progressing in that field and am still learning more each day. My techniques of actions learning for solving the problem quickly and efficiently reflect on my day to day decisions. Hence, I would rate myself as a competent experienced one in this field (Meliniotis, 2015).
Reflective Practice Reference Behaviours/Tenants
Reflecting practice reference tenants includes a set of guidelines that facilitate such a practice. These could be both based on the models developed by others or individually developed. The major key areas under this head that act as a tool to throw light on the individualistic reflection on the leadership behaviours include holding the truth, appreciation of ambiguity, diversity as a vehicle to wholeness, holding multiple perspectives without judgement, discovery of potential, quest for adventure towards knowing something of life, nurturing the intellectual and emotional self and keeping commitments to oneself (Staples, 2012). These areas are the additional yet extremely crucial factors in setting up the base for a leader in the nurse management field. Based on the presence of integrity in myself, my flexibility to function in different environments, and my curiosity to learn new things while taking care of other’s emotions, I would rate myself as an expert in the field. (Guyton, 2012).
Usage of my current leadership skill to advocate for change in my workplace.
To advocate changes in my workplace for good, I would assure the unity in diversity factor as a key leadership skill. I believe in the importance of working together in the fulfilment of a common commitment along with being considerate of your co-worker’s needs and aspirations. This coordination leads to self satisfaction and hence a more dedicated workforce which is surely an asset to the organization. It is also important to adapt yourself in the changing working conditions and helping your people to fit in those changes too (Sherman, 2007).
Identification of one personal goal for the leadership growth and discussion of the implementation plan to achieve that goal.
Leadership skills that are inevitably fruitful for the organization and the personal development definitely see no limits. I feel like a learner each day and try to constantly work towards my betterment in each way. My personal way of enhancing my skills is in maintaining the inquisitiveness to learn more. I leave no opportunity to accept new challenges and take up new projects in my course of learning. I have pledged not to fear failures and learn from as much as possible. I am learning something new each day and exploring new ventures for myself every passing second (Contino, 2004).
References
Upenieks & Valda V. (2003). What Constitutes Effective Leadership? Perceptions of Magnet and Nonmagnet Nurse Leaders. Jona, 33, 456-467.
Meliniotis C. (2015). Effective Nursing Leadership. Retrieved on June 20, 2015, from: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Effective-Nursing-Leadership.aspx
Contino, D. S. (2004). Leadership Competencies: Knowledge, Skills, and Aptitudes Nurses Need to Lead Organizations Effectively. AACN, 24, 52-64.
Sherman, R. O. (2007). Launching yourself in nursing leadership. Retrieved on June 20, 2015, from: http://www.americannursetoday.com/blog/launching-yourself-in-nursing-leadership/
Staples S. (2012). 5 Leadership Qualities Every Nurse Should Have. Retrieved on June 20, 2015, from: http://www.nursetogether.com/5-leadership-qualities-every-nurse-should-have
Guyton N. (2012). Nine principles of successful nursing leadership. American Nurse Today, 7.
