Leadership in Nursing Administration
Leadership is found to be an important factor in the administration of nursing practice, since this practice of nursing requires the leading practioners to be consistent and have knowledge to inspire and encourage others in the working environment through which an individual can provide a better health care in the nursing profession. The qualities for a good leader in this profession include; having a vision, collaborating with others, should have good communication skills. (Grohar and DiCroce, 2002)
Research indicates that the nursing professions carry a number of responsibilities shared among staff in a particular health provision center. Under this we find that different ranks of nurses are given different responsibilities, whereby the Executive nurse in any health organization is given the mandatory to ensure that the organization he is working with is provided with a kind leadership that proves to be visionary to the nursing services provided. He is also has the authority to uplift the standards of nursing set in the organization. The executive nurses’ obligations are therefore meant to monitor the operations of the nursing team under him in the organization, thus enhancing a better involvement of the nurses in making decisions affecting the management of the organization thus enabling teamwork among the workers. (Grohar and DiCroce, 2002)
There are also other types of nurses in the line of leadership in the nursing administration such as the clinical nurse managers whose responsibility is to coordinate and manage the nursing practices in the organization. Nurse Managers also organize and plan giving health care to a large number of people and bringing quality results such as development of staff, strategic planning and care management.
Research within the framework of nursing management and leadership has shown that the practices for managerial nurses has changed as a result of good payment, reduced number of people being admitted and reducing the period of stay in the nursing profession.Nursing administrators have also taken additional responsibilities due to extended nursing care such as mobile health care, outpatient clinics and surgi-centers.The responsibilities include negotiating for contracts, looking for supportive services and managing services in other displines are related to nursing profession (Radcliffe, 2000)
Nursing administration includes a number of different leadership and management practices such as consumer’s likes and dislikes, political changes, atmosphere in the market, which brings changes in the health care systems. Nurse administrators have different levels of education which include masters of Science in nursing, masters of health administration, certificates of science in nursing and self-study.
Since the nursing administration involves the interaction of the nursing practitioner with the clients, it requires one to have an enormous knowledge in communication and an artistic mind that will permit the administrator to raise and solve issues in an effective manner. This calls for the people interested in leadership in nursing profession to have the professional approach in ensuring that his or her obligation is well executed. The administrator has to carry out a health care plan which is usually formed using nursing procedures. The first step requires the administrator involved to get information about the subject matter after which he or she looks in to the problem and the possible solutions he then gives orders and the way forward to the people under him so that the problem is solved. (Radcliffe, 2000)
A leader in the nursing profession should be able to maintain a good relationship with the professional nurses to avoid them leaving the profession due the feelings of inadequacy, oppression, stress, disempowerment, intimidation, undermining and insubordination. Other factors in care hospitals such as low morale, heavier workloads, reduced resources, can contribute to poor performance in the profession hence leaving the profession. It is of great essence that the above issues are taken in to consideration in order to retain the nurses and give them morale to work well and administer effective health care. (Sullivan and Decker1997)
A wide category of nursing administration is seen in different fields which include: psychology, research in nursing, health care administration, clinical nursing, social sciences and medicine in general. Ways through which leadership and management are carried out is largely borrowed from business administration so it is highly recommended for nurse administrators to be conversant with business and social science materials. A nurse administrator also should be able to intermingle with other health professionals who are believed to be of higher rank and with great experience so that they can be able to learn from them.
A leader in the nursing profession should also be a person who has enough experience in the nursing field. He should be conversant with what happens in the field and daily changes which occur for the benefit of those receiving the nursing services. He should be able to interact with all the people who are under him. An administrator should also be able to seek advice and get suggestions from other administrators from different places whom they hold the same position.
Leadership and management should be taken as a collective endeavor and responsibility for every one. It should be shared among all the nursing administration and the nurses themselves regardless of their positions because they have responsibility of correcting the challenging factors in the nursing profession. Good administration of leadership in the nursing profession makes it easier and effective to give good services to those who require nursing services thus preventing risks and illness which may lead to death and achieving and maintaining a better health status for a healthy society. (Sullivan and Decker1997)
Reference:
Grohar M and DiCroce H (2002), Leadership and Management in Nursing, Third edition,
Prentice-Hall Upper Saddle River
Radcliffe M (2000), Doctors & nurses, new game same result. British medical journal
Sullivan E and Decker J (1997): Effective Leadership & Management in Nursing. Addison Wesley, Menlo Park, CA
