Module v leadership in nursing

Leadership in Nursing


EVERY NURSE IS A LEADER

Leadership can arise at any level and take shape informally and informally. The hallmarks of a leader are:

Taking ownership; not waiting for delegated authority,

Building interpersonal relationships,

Inspiring others to follow their lead,

Embracing creativity and innovation,

Empowering others, and

Challenging the status quo.


Laura Wisniewski, RN, BS, CIC in All Nurses are Leaders, uses the letters in the word LEADERSHIP as an acronym for the ten learnable characteristics of all nurses as leaders:

L: LIFE-LONG LEARNER

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy

Whether in nursing school, passing the nursing state board exam, clinical specialization and advanced certifications or obtaining other advanced degrees, nursing students are constantly learning. Once in the profession and throughout their careers, nurses must continuously learn, unlearn and re-learn to keep up with changes in health care deliver, technology and evidence-based practice.


E: EMPATHETIC

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato

Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another’s state of mind or emotion. It is characterized as the ability to put your self into someone else’s shoes. Empathy is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to effectively perceive, express, and understand your emotions and the emotions of others.

Nurses are called upon day in and day out to help others, so recognizing how those people feel is critical to delivering superior health care.


A: ADVOCATE

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

An advocate is one who speaks on behalf of another person. Nurses have a legal and moral duty to speak and act on the behalf of their patients. There is no greater privilege or responsibility in the profession of nursing.

Nurses should also be advocates for each other in order to strengthen the profession and provide even better patient care.


D: DECISIVE

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Critical thinking is non-linear thinking, recognizing potential consequences and preparing for various outcomes. Critical thinkers have the ability to prioritize, problem-solve, utilize available resources, collaborate, and ultimately decide on a course of action.


E: EXTRAORDINARY

“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” – Booker T. Washington

Nurses often hear the comment from others, “I could never do what you do.” The U.S. Department of Labor identifies eight universal job skills. Most occupations require four or less of these skills. Nursing requires all eight skills which include: leadership/ persuasion, problem solving, teamwork, manual dexterity, instructing others, intuition, frequent public contact and physical stamina.


R: RESILIENT

“There are three constants in life; change, choice and principles.” – Stephen R. Covey

All industries, including health care, are experiencing unprecedented rapid “white water” change. Change now occurs faster in a year than previously during a decade. How can nurses keep up with this pace while remaining both safe and relevant? As nurses follow their personal and professional guiding principles they will effectively choose what must change and what must not change in nursing.


S: SUPPORTIVE

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Nurses depend on the support of other nurses. This support is demonstrated through teamwork, mentoring and the deeper bonds of friendship. These unique relationships are forged through shared experiences, successes and overcoming challenges.


H: HEROIC

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

The literal meaning of the word hero is protector, defender or guardian. To be heroic is having or displaying the character or attributes of a hero such as being extraordinarily bold, altruistic, and determined.


I: INTUITIVE

“It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea.” – Jonas Salk

Intuition is insight or understanding of a

situation that cannot be explained logically.

It is often described as a “gut feeling”.

According to nursing expert Patricia Benner,

“Intuition is not the lack of knowledge;

rather it is a result of “deep” knowledge.”


P: PURPOSE DRIVEN

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” – Robert Byrne

According to the American Nurses Association, “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.” It is difficult to imagine a more significant life purpose than becoming a nurse.

Module v leadership in nursing

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Module v leadership in nursing