Jennifer hay RE: Discussion – Week 4
Important Leadership Skills
Leadership matters in every organization not just in healthcare. With healthcare constantly changing, now more than ever, it is important to have great leaders throughout every organization (Marshall & Broome, 2017). One key characteristic of a good leader is they should focus on self-development (Aij & Rapsaniotis, 2017). Leaders that focus on self-development will continue to grow and learn from their mistakes. This allows them to focus on developing new skills and knowledge. When leaders continue to grow, they will be able to empower employees to be better and achieve their goals. Another leadership behavior that is important is characteristics seen in a transformational leader. Transformational leaders motivate and communicate with their employees to achieve a common goal (Fletcher et al., 2019). In healthcare, transformational leaders motivate their staff to provide high quality care to patients.
Leadership skills from personal experience
My floor director is a good example of a transitional leader. With all the changes that have gone on with Covid she constantly makes sure we are up to date on the most current information. She also works alone side us often providing patient care. Having a leader that is not scared to do what we do makes a big impact. She has taken care of Covid patients while they deliver newborns. She also always expresses her appreciate for a job well done. Its nice to have someone not only appreciate what you do but also be willing to step into the trenches with us.
Leadership skills effectiveness
Self-development is important for leaders, so they do not stay stagnant. Recently there was a push through clinical ladder to have more nurses that were nationally certified. Both of my managers pushed themselves and other staff to get certified. As a result of their motivation for self-development there are now 8 board certified pediatric nurses on the floor. Leaders must be willing to deal with difficult situations also. Working in Womens and Childrens our managers sometimes have to deal with situations that sometimes can be uncomfortable like mothers with drug addicted babies, adoption situations, or even fetal demises. Knowing how to deal with difficult situations makes them a resource to help other staff when these situations arise.
References
Aij, K. H., & Rapsaniotis, S. (2017). Leadership requirements for Lean versus servant leadership in health care: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, Volume 9, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s120166
Fletcher, K. A., Friedman, A., & Piedimonte, G. (2019). Transformational and Transactional Leadership in Healthcare Seen Through the Lens of Pediatrics. The Journal of Pediatrics, 204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.10.007
Marshall, E., & Broome, M. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
