Leadership In Nursing
As I sit here, on my third of four night shifts, worrying about if I am going to be able to get my car out of the parking lot in the morning as I watch the snowfall I am thinking about how huge and physically uncomfortable I am 36 weeks and 3 days into my pregnancy. I am thinking about how I cannot wait for this baby to emerge into the world. Interestingly, I am also think about how inspired I am feeling about the possibilities that lie ahead in my professional future as I am slowly closing in on finishing my final three courses in my Master of Nursing degree. Perhaps the most intriguing and applicable course I am taking this semester is a Leadership course because I am finding that am just now coming to an understanding of what good leadership is and the realization that I didn't really have a good grasp on the concept until I began reading about it this week.
In the quiet of night shift I am finding the time to ponder my roles and responsibilities as a baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse. I can see now that leadership skills are someone that is necessary to being a good nurse, at all levels of nursing from formalized leadership positions to front line staff. In our role as advocates of health it is our responsibility to be collaborative members of a health care team, both within our immediate place of work but also in the larger landscape of health care in our Health Care Regions, cities, provinces and in Canada.
I have never considered myself a leader, however lately I am finding that I am reflecting more and more on how I can begin to embody this role in my professional life. I think that strong leadership is something that has been lacking in some of the places that I have worked, as often the term leadership is equated to management; however, leadership encompasses much more than the control and efficiency required in a management role. Are managers leaders? I believe the can be, but being a good manager does not necessarily equate to being a strong leader.
For example, in my experience there seems to be much confusion about what the roles and responsibilities of those in formal management positions are in contrast to those in other types of leadership positions like Patient Care Coordinators, Program Coordinators, Team Leaders and Clinical Educators. Further, there seems to be some confusion about the leadership qualities required to perform a role like Nurse in Charge. In my experience there are some front line staff that have very unrealistic expectations about what leadership entails. For example, expectations that there is a single person (or handful of people) responsible for the success or failure of a program, those in leadership and management roles. I once held these misconceptions too at the outset of my career as a Youth Worker in a residential treatment facility for autistic children. However, as I grow in my understanding and experience I can see that collaboration and partnerships are key rather than unrealistic expectations that someone in a formal leadership role will somehow know, without being told, both the problem and the solution immediately. This seems a very immature view of organizational practice.
Unfortunately I think there is not enough time, education for emphasis placed on developing leadership skills in nursing and health care as it may just be assumed that with enough experience and motivation effective leadership will simply develop. This does not seem true.
Thus, it is now one of my goals to develop my leadership skills.
In the quiet of night shift I am finding the time to ponder my roles and responsibilities as a baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse. I can see now that leadership skills are someone that is necessary to being a good nurse, at all levels of nursing from formalized leadership positions to front line staff. In our role as advocates of health it is our responsibility to be collaborative members of a health care team, both within our immediate place of work but also in the larger landscape of health care in our Health Care Regions, cities, provinces and in Canada.
I have never considered myself a leader, however lately I am finding that I am reflecting more and more on how I can begin to embody this role in my professional life. I think that strong leadership is something that has been lacking in some of the places that I have worked, as often the term leadership is equated to management; however, leadership encompasses much more than the control and efficiency required in a management role. Are managers leaders? I believe the can be, but being a good manager does not necessarily equate to being a strong leader.
For example, in my experience there seems to be much confusion about what the roles and responsibilities of those in formal management positions are in contrast to those in other types of leadership positions like Patient Care Coordinators, Program Coordinators, Team Leaders and Clinical Educators. Further, there seems to be some confusion about the leadership qualities required to perform a role like Nurse in Charge. In my experience there are some front line staff that have very unrealistic expectations about what leadership entails. For example, expectations that there is a single person (or handful of people) responsible for the success or failure of a program, those in leadership and management roles. I once held these misconceptions too at the outset of my career as a Youth Worker in a residential treatment facility for autistic children. However, as I grow in my understanding and experience I can see that collaboration and partnerships are key rather than unrealistic expectations that someone in a formal leadership role will somehow know, without being told, both the problem and the solution immediately. This seems a very immature view of organizational practice.
Unfortunately I think there is not enough time, education for emphasis placed on developing leadership skills in nursing and health care as it may just be assumed that with enough experience and motivation effective leadership will simply develop. This does not seem true.
Thus, it is now one of my goals to develop my leadership skills.
Peace,
Michelle D.
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