Role Development Analysis of a Nurse Manager - Essay Example

Role Development Analysis of a Nurse Manager Role Development Analysis of a Nurse Manager Question I The interviewee manifested ample knowledge on management in the nursing profession. She was confident, focused, reflective, and eloquent. She portrayed an influential quality and an ability to guide and direct. She showed an aspect of team spirit and expressed her determination in teamwork and problem solving. Her demeanor was consistent with the characteristics of a collaborative leader. Much of her outward characters might be explained through participatory theory of leadership. She appeared consultative but also demonstrated a strong capacity to make independent decisions. Her personal philosophies of leadership entails the cultivation of a conducive working environment with systems and structures that support the growth of positive attitudes, characters, competencies, and skill development within the workforce. Well-resourced and semi-autonomous personnel, in her opinion, are more likely to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in processes that rigidly controlled groups. She prefers serving in an environment with a flexible and horizontal kind of leadership. Question II In the years she has served as Nurse Manager, the interviewee has been able to preside over teams assigned special duties within and without her organization. Such duties included community service, outreach programs, exchange programs, and employee welfare-support initiatives. In many occasions, she participated in decision-making processes at the lowest level where she made specific decisions for changes in routines and the introduction of programs for alleviating work-related stress and burnout within the nursing fraternity. Sometimes she has had to sit in for the Director during her leave from duty. Such experiences have exposed her to the challenges of the work place and the rigors of leadership. Her experience in serving in the field and the leadership roles she played in various tasks enabled her to expand her understanding on the dynamics of the nursing profession in terms of processes, structures, organization, challenges, and opportunities for development. She can relate with some of the obstacles that make it difficult for nurses to provide quality service care in many healthcare institutions. She has also experienced changes in roles, structures, leadership styles, which have had varying impacts on the quality of service delivery, employee commitment, and general development. The interviewee appeared to have gathered sufficient insight into the processes of human resource management and proper management of resources and materials. Although she lacks vast knowledge on the dimension of financial management, she could display some level of knowledge on the basics of proper financial handling and suggested areas of priority based on experience. In order for one to serve ably as a Nurse Manager, one must develop professional experience in quality nursing care and patient safety. Secondly, the candidate must demonstrate human resource management skills. The individual should also possess experience in management, decision-making, and crisis management (Masters, 2009). Experience with the changing nature of the field of nursing including the technological aspects of the changes is of high significance. Moreover, the Nurse Manager must have sufficient experience in financial management, which forms one of the key aspects of leadership. A combination of these experiences prepares one for the complex tasks and challenges associated with the task of Nurse Manager. Question III The Nurse Manager observed that the aspect of leadership in nursing has continued to evolve over time. In her opinion, she said that the changes in leadership were occasioned by the transforming nature of the field of healthcare delivery. Certain changes have resulted in the position of Nurse Manager acquiring more significance and increased roles requiring special skills and insights on the part of the leader. The changes have come into effect due to technological advancement, globalization, population explosion, and the influence from the private sector participation. The Nurse Manager observed that the role would continue to acquire more significance and duties in the waking of changing of organizational structures and shifts from traditional systems of management. These changes, according to the Nurse Manager, have been enhanced by changes in policies and legislations, which have redefined the role and scope of nursing and leadership in nursing. Question IV According to the Nurse Manager, the three most challenging issues she faces are staffing problems, inadequate funding, and employee burnout. She argued that staffing remains a serious challenge in many public healthcare institutions because many nursing personnel have shifted to private nursing institutions, which offer better terms of service. Graduates from nursing institutions also opt to join private firms due to the comparably high salaries and convenient terms of service. Inadequate funding, she said, makes it problematic to carry out any meaningful changes at the managerial levels. Many healthcare programs have stalled due to insufficient funds. The funding problem also compromises the level of quality of services rendered by the institution. Insufficient funding and high levels of staff turnover are the key challenges that face healthcare institutions today (Masters, 2009). The challenge of funding makes it particularly difficult for healthcare institutions to carry out developments and to embrace new changes in their systems and processes. Institutions cannot purchase new technological devices, which creates negative consequences on their levels of efficiency. Poor funding corresponds to poor levels of remuneration. The consequence is lack of motivation leading to job-related stress and compromised quality of care. Question V The Nurse Manager attributed much of her success to various mentors. She has had both real and fictional mentors. In her service, she admits that she admired the levelheaded approach of her predecessor. She inspired her to pursue higher education and to handle issues with a calm but firm approach. Another trait she acquired from her mentor was the reliance on facts, data, and precedence to make her decisions. These, according to her, are the tenets upon which evidence-based practice in nursing hinges. The Nurse Manager also admitted to having a close attachment on medical fiction. She admirers nursing managers in the fictional world who rise above the odds to make decisions that change the lives of millions in their midst. Question VI The Nurse Manager advised anyone aspiring for a managerial position in nursing to develop the habit of consultation, knowledge development, and interpersonal communication. Such persons should learn the art and science of management by incorporating theoretical concepts with realistic situations. According to her, it would be a mistake for one to hold rigidly onto abstract theories while ignoring the uniqueness of situation. Objectivity, flexibility, and openness, she argued, were key to effective management of processes. Her position demonstrates the manner in which nursing requires a keen sense of detail and dedication to duty. The Nurse Manager argued that the Nurse Manager, unlike her subordinates, is required to be conscious of her work whether he or she is on duty or on leave. References Masters, K. (2009). Role development in professional nursing practice. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Read More