Strategic planning is an important aspect of leadership. Leaders are expected to have goals and plan actions according to the desired outcomes of those goals. Planning involves creating an idea and a time frame in which this idea should be implemented. This also includes coordinating people and resources in order to accomplish this planned event/goal. Planning is a difficult concept for many individuals. Leaders must always be thinking ahead in order to progress and be successful. For example, if a charge nurse is going to staff the unit correctly he/she must think ahead to estimate how many patients there will be. They must also keep in mind that things do not always go according to plan so a backup plan will be needed. If strategic planning is not implemented, the shift will be crazy and the employees will not be happy with their leader.
Insights from class 1/31/2012:
Strategic planning is an important part of accomplishing goals. If the right plan is thought through and implemented it can be possible to control outcomes. In the hospital setting, strategic planning is used to increase incoming patients and money. In our nursing careers we will see this type of planning put into practice.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Lesson 3- Ethics
This week in class and through on line assignments we learned about ethics. This topic is actually quite frustrating for me because it seems that there is never an end to the debates. There will ALWAYS be different views and there is no right or wrong answer. The case study described a little girl who was dying of HIV. Her grandmother did not tell her she had HIV or that she was dying. To respect the many laws in healthcare, her nurses were not able to tell her that she was dying. This is a hard case because as nurses we are not allowed to make this decision, even if we disagree.
In the movie "My Sister's Keeper," a mother is desperately trying to save her daughter who has leukemia. She has another child (younger) that can donate blood, organs etc to her sister and is expected to do so. The child with leukemia wants to die and the parents can not see that. They do everything in their power to keep her alive against her own will. As a mother, I can probably say that I would do the same thing. I would do ANYTHING to keep my child alive. In this case the parents eventually learn how to cope with the situation and allow the treatments to end. As healthcare workers, we need to be careful to keep our opinions to ourselves when necessary. If we feel strongly enough about something we do not have to do it. Even if it means getting fired, I would rather have a clean conscience than be forced to do something I feel is unethical.
In the movie "My Sister's Keeper," a mother is desperately trying to save her daughter who has leukemia. She has another child (younger) that can donate blood, organs etc to her sister and is expected to do so. The child with leukemia wants to die and the parents can not see that. They do everything in their power to keep her alive against her own will. As a mother, I can probably say that I would do the same thing. I would do ANYTHING to keep my child alive. In this case the parents eventually learn how to cope with the situation and allow the treatments to end. As healthcare workers, we need to be careful to keep our opinions to ourselves when necessary. If we feel strongly enough about something we do not have to do it. Even if it means getting fired, I would rather have a clean conscience than be forced to do something I feel is unethical.
Monday, January 23, 2012
12 Characteristics of Leaders
1. Leadership requires personal mastery- personal mastery in the nursing profession is essential to becoming a leader. A leader who is seeking for personal mastery will seek feedback, demonstrate leadership qualities in emergency situations, remain grounded and confident, maintain a professional demeanor, and take initiative. These qualities create a strong leader (nursing.fau.edu 2003).
2. Leadership is about values- values and integrity are expected in nursing practice. This allows the professional to make ethical decisions that directly affect human beings. The values of a leader will no doubt come into play in most situations. A leader must know how to implement these values and show integrity. A leader must always choose to do the right thing (NLN, 2011).
3. Leadership is about service- Some may think that leaders just get paid more than anyone else. In many instances, leaders actually do more work for less. I have witnessed many leaders who have given their own free time to fill a need. Great leaders will do this and are expected to do this. They should be thinking about their staff and the population they are serving.
4. Leadership is about people and relationships- a leader should be personable and truly care about the people who work for them. In nursing, leaders should watch out for fellow nurses and always be willing to help. They should show compassion for patients and RN's. This will maintain harmony in the workplace.
5. Leadership is contextual-Contextual leadership is the ability to lead a certain group while still keeping up with the changes that are being made. In nursing, practices and protocols are constantly changing. Leaders must keep up with these changes in order to lead a certain group.
6. Leadership is about the management of meaning- managers of meanings can determine how their workers attach meanings to various circumstances (imd.org, 2011). They do this so that the company as a whole can share interpretations and stay on the same page. On a nursing unit, it is important for all healthcare personel to be on the same page. This can also help to motivate others to join their team because they understand the purpose (imd.org, 2011).
7. Leadership is about balance- An effective leader needs many positive traits to balance a company or institution. They need to be financially and socially balanced. It is easy to focus on an aspect of management that seems most important, but if little areas are ignored, the institution could crumble. In nursing, leaders must be aware of the financial standing of the unit, but they should also be aware of the patient and RN needs.
8. Leadership is about continuous learning and improvement- the world is always changing and making advances. If a leader does not keep up with these, the company they are running could become old news. There are always leaders that are progressing to become bigger and better than the next. Leaders need to keep up with the changing norms. This is especially true in healthcare because patients could choose to receive care from a more advanced institution.
9. Leadership is about effective decision making- In healthcare, effective decision making is essential. Patients lives are on the line and a good leader knows how to make decisions under a lot of pressure.
10. Leadership is a political process- A leader is often thrown into the political arena. They must protect patients rights as well as RN rights. They need to be an advocate to the patient as well as their RN staff. This is a tough roll but unavoidable as a leader in nursing.
11. Leadership is about modeling- Leaders should be models for good practice. They should also help their co-workers become the best they can be. They need to work with their flaws and strengths and provide feedback. A good leader wants their employees to succeed and improve.
12. Leadership is about integrity- A leader should be someone to trust. They are expected to be steady and honest in their actions. They should be a positive role model for those who work for them.
2. Leadership is about values- values and integrity are expected in nursing practice. This allows the professional to make ethical decisions that directly affect human beings. The values of a leader will no doubt come into play in most situations. A leader must know how to implement these values and show integrity. A leader must always choose to do the right thing (NLN, 2011).
3. Leadership is about service- Some may think that leaders just get paid more than anyone else. In many instances, leaders actually do more work for less. I have witnessed many leaders who have given their own free time to fill a need. Great leaders will do this and are expected to do this. They should be thinking about their staff and the population they are serving.
4. Leadership is about people and relationships- a leader should be personable and truly care about the people who work for them. In nursing, leaders should watch out for fellow nurses and always be willing to help. They should show compassion for patients and RN's. This will maintain harmony in the workplace.
5. Leadership is contextual-Contextual leadership is the ability to lead a certain group while still keeping up with the changes that are being made. In nursing, practices and protocols are constantly changing. Leaders must keep up with these changes in order to lead a certain group.
6. Leadership is about the management of meaning- managers of meanings can determine how their workers attach meanings to various circumstances (imd.org, 2011). They do this so that the company as a whole can share interpretations and stay on the same page. On a nursing unit, it is important for all healthcare personel to be on the same page. This can also help to motivate others to join their team because they understand the purpose (imd.org, 2011).
7. Leadership is about balance- An effective leader needs many positive traits to balance a company or institution. They need to be financially and socially balanced. It is easy to focus on an aspect of management that seems most important, but if little areas are ignored, the institution could crumble. In nursing, leaders must be aware of the financial standing of the unit, but they should also be aware of the patient and RN needs.
8. Leadership is about continuous learning and improvement- the world is always changing and making advances. If a leader does not keep up with these, the company they are running could become old news. There are always leaders that are progressing to become bigger and better than the next. Leaders need to keep up with the changing norms. This is especially true in healthcare because patients could choose to receive care from a more advanced institution.
9. Leadership is about effective decision making- In healthcare, effective decision making is essential. Patients lives are on the line and a good leader knows how to make decisions under a lot of pressure.
10. Leadership is a political process- A leader is often thrown into the political arena. They must protect patients rights as well as RN rights. They need to be an advocate to the patient as well as their RN staff. This is a tough roll but unavoidable as a leader in nursing.
11. Leadership is about modeling- Leaders should be models for good practice. They should also help their co-workers become the best they can be. They need to work with their flaws and strengths and provide feedback. A good leader wants their employees to succeed and improve.
12. Leadership is about integrity- A leader should be someone to trust. They are expected to be steady and honest in their actions. They should be a positive role model for those who work for them.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Lesson 2: Successful Leadership
In this lesson we were assigned to find two articles on effective leadership. After reading a couple of articles, I learned the type of leader depends on their values and beliefs and the way they view themselves. Confidence is a big part of leadership. If you are confident, others will feel good about following your lead. Leaders need to be honest and competent. These are traits that followers will look for in their leaders. With leadership comes a lot of responsibility, and some individuals may not be up to the task. It is important for leaders to think this through and realize the effect they could have on others lives.
January 17, 2012
Today in class we talked about the difference between a Manager and a Leader. We also talked about different leaders in history. I guess I never thought of Hitler as a good example of a leader because he did such terrible things. Even so, he was a good leader because he somehow convinced an entire Country to follow him, even if they knew it was not right. As we discussed this, I thought of my manager at work. I think that she is a great manager, but sometimes not a great leader. I work with great leaders, but I would not always consider her to be one. She works well with the financial issues on the unit and makes sure we are keeping up with staffing, protocols etc. She does not particularly take extra time to work with us individually on our goals and progression. Some of my charge nurses do work with me and give me patients that will challenge my knowledge. They are always there to answer my questions and help me if needed.
I believe that some leaders are born but most are made. I don't believe that i was born a natural leader, in fact I may be the opposite. But through schooling, work and being a mother and wife I am learning to be a leader. I want to be a leader to my children and help them to accomplish their goals. I also want to be a leader at work as I gain more experience so I can help others learn in the future.
I believe that some leaders are born but most are made. I don't believe that i was born a natural leader, in fact I may be the opposite. But through schooling, work and being a mother and wife I am learning to be a leader. I want to be a leader to my children and help them to accomplish their goals. I also want to be a leader at work as I gain more experience so I can help others learn in the future.
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