EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN NURSING
Nursing is a great career path and most students choose it because of their passion for caring for other patients while others enroll for the stability and the financial benefits that come after the completion of their studies. Commitment is one important factor in a nursing school as there are things that one needs to study before joining. Various nursing schools require one to have done subjects related to nursing such as Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and have passed in all of them. These subjects are often used as prerequisites to offer a background to what is expected when you are to join.
Concerns are constantly continuing to be raised regarding the commitment of some of the nursing workforce. Horton and other researchers have emphasized the importance of understanding professional nursing values, therefore, uniting and empowering the profession.
Also Read: What kind of a person makes a good nurse
Students filled with a passion for a career advancing in nursing need to understand that it involves nurturing, helping and caring for those who are around them. Nursing is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding career paths many students can opt to follow. Most nursing schools instill core values in students which will carry them into their ongoing careers. For them to become successful, correct and effective leadership skills are required for one to succeed.
Besides having and acquiring the right nursing values, a person’s right skills and knowledge are critical to take one’s career to the next level. So, what are some of the leadership skills that are necessary for one to be successful?
Many professions require people who can embrace diversity and are familiar with the cultural differences that exist in many organizations within the society we live in. Global perspective helps nurses who are leaders to respond in an effective manner to worldwide healthcare trends and how they can effectively adapt them to their work on a national, regional and local level.
Operating an efficient healthcare service requires one to have the right technology to achieve. Electronic health records (EHRs), biometrics and clinical decision support daily processes and interactions in healthcare which has a huge impact, therefore, arming yourself with the right technical expertise and knowledge will offer a good stead for the future.
Nurse leaders need to have the above skill as their key expertise. Working in a healthcare setting requires one to make decisions based on their research and empirical studies to likely achieve their desired results. Although complex decisions can be hard to judge, a decision strategy must be implemented by nursing leaders and the process of decision making be aligned throughout the organization.
Nurses must be willing to cope with a rapid change when faced with a problem in the healthcare system. Continuous change happens in many organizations today hence bringing stress or a feeling of pride among staff members. Embracing it and adapting to it will empower the workforce in deliver quality healthcare.
Politics surround every organizational sector and is no different to the health sector. Nurses must make the right political decisions if they are to be deemed successful. Nurse leaders must identify good relationship structures and any other informal structures at work. Great leaders can interpret different social situations and can act appropriately when the time comes to act as role models to others.
Leadership is all about the creation of good working relationships by identifying a common purpose with colleagues and working together cooperatively. Nurses need to be great models to their fellow workers by achieving the right balance which is usually difficult. Great models mentor one another through clear communication and conflict management skills.
