Reflection on Nursing Leadership - Essay Example

Reflection on Nursing Leadership The quest for satisfactory services in the nursing field is critical to the society. However, inthe nursing practice, lack of professional qualification in management is often a big challenge. Many employers feel that an individual has to acquire graduate degree or higher education in order to qualify to serve in a particular cadre. Stagnation in career field demoralizes because an individual does not feel that the position he or she holds commensurate to his or her experience in a particular career (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006). I believe that a change in leadership practice would not only influence the nursing career, but also build the morale of the workers. A review of the previous goals in life leads to a positive response towards job stagnation, which occurs because an individual does not posses the required qualification in a particular field. However, in my tenure as a leader, I intent to change the trends in nursing practice by developing a comprehensive plan, which will affect the way nurses conduct their jobs. Need for expertise in a nursing field dictates my individual’s crave for graduate education. It is apparent that the education curriculum offers education skills according to certain levels. For instance, certificate course and diploma courses offer basic skills in a particular field of interest. Bachelors’ degree offers a general content of what an individual needs to know in a particular field. In response to these facets of education curriculum, I intend encourage my colleagues to pursue a graduate degree in order to acquire in depth information and skills in a particular area of study. This would enhance my ability to perform certain tasks in my area of trade. It is evident that higher education predisposes an individual to a wide range of technical problems that one is likely to face or meet during his career practice. Another reason that leads to graduate studies is money factor. Every person work in order to lead a sustainable life. The dream of leading a sustainable life comes when one has acquired higher education. My work as a nurse has exposed me to challenges and I know the challenges that we face as nurses. I feel that nursing degree is not enough to handle adult issues in the nursing career. Sometimes I meet challenges when handling adults and I feel that I would have done better if I had the much needed skilled offered in graduate training. My pride as a nurse is to offer a quality service and respond to medical problems facing adults. I have observed during my tenure as a nurse that the society bestows a lot of respect to the nurses. I usually receive calls at wee hours of the night when I should be in slumber because of the trust the society has placed upon my hands. I know I cannot be able to respond to some technical problems without acquiring graduate education. The leadership role demands that I provide direction to my junior employees and colleagues (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006). In response to this demand, decided to build my career skills by pursuing graduate education. My interest in adult studies is because our country has a few graduate nurses who have specialized in complication facing adults. Some complexities that affect the adults are much easier to solve if I had the required education. I know one may question my expertise as a nurse, however, I wish to respond this by stating that I have over ten years experience, practicing as a nurse. I have observed very many complex problems in this profession and I am convinced that bachelor’s degree is not enough. When I meet challenges in my profession, I usually call my mentor. She is a graduate nurse who has specialized in adult issues. I wish to mention that on many occasions that I have sought her help I have been able to see the difference between expertise knowledge and experience. She combines her expertise and experience to evaluate and tackle a problem that we present to her. I believe that a combination of expertise and experience would give a perfect match for my career. Senior positions in medical career depend on individual’s competence. This means that graduate course is mandatory to anybody thinking of a senior post. This dream is a distance a way because I have to make the formidable step and go for it. Policies in the government are likely to change, who knows? I feel that many people in the society have missed great chances to change their life conditions because of the inadequate skills at their disposal. I know that competency is a challenge to many practicing and aspiring nurses including myself; however, my entry behavior into the nursing leadership creates a room for more changes. Specialization in issues facing adults would be advantageous to me because it offers flexibility in nursing profession. Flexible careers are satisfactory compared to inflexible career. I acknowledge the role of leaders at every level and I believe that a person can develop leadership skills by acquiring the right training for a particular career. I have observed that graduate nurses have greater roles to perform in the society. Functions conducted by graduate nurses in various hospitals include coordination of nurses’ activities. The position demand skills and expertise that one gains through education. As a leader, I intend to create a program that would accommodate the demands for nurses who intend to further their careers. I have noted that a junior nurse, who trained after me earned more salary than I do because she had acquired graduate degree in nursing. I realized that employers do not only look at the number of years a person has been practicing, but they also look at the amount of education that a person has. In conclusion, leadership demands quality training, which exposes the leader to the challenges of the workplace. As a leader, I noted that developing good leadership structure emanates from the knowledge developed during practice and higher education. In that sense, my tenure as a leader would promote interests that hinges on acquiring more skills. In addition, addressing issues affecting the welfare would not only boost the morale of the nurses, but would also advance their dignity. References McGuire, E. & Kennerly, M. S. (2006). “Nurse Managers as Transformational and Transactional Leaders” Nursing Economics. 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