Combining Nurse Leader with Advocacy
Advocacy is not a new concept for the profession of nursing. Many nursing leaders including Florence Nightingale, have supported the concept of nurse accountability to lead changes that improve patient and population healthcare while protecting the needs and advancements of the nursing profession. (Stanford, 2012). Nursing leadership is key to effective advocacy and well documented in the writings of Ms. Nightingale (Selandars & Crane, 2012). Today’s nurse must understand the definition of advocacy as it relates to quality and safe healthcare for patients, families and communities. Tomajon (2012), states that advocacy is “seeing a need and finding a way to address it” (as cited by Amidei, 2010).
Leadership has many definitions. Chin, Desormeaux, and Sawyer (2016) define leadership as a relationship between followers and a leader with the intent to promote change through a mutual vision. Therefore, leaders are active influences in the outcome of organizations, through their decision-making, strategies, and influence on followers (Dinh et al., 2014). Additionally, in the nursing context, it has been documented that a leader 's style plays a factor in patient outcomes (Fischer, 2016). Indeed, in an ever-changing, complex health care environment, nursing leadership has become a crucial factor in managing challenges and maintaining patient safety (Fischer, 2016).
Patient care experience and the need for improvement toward patient-centered care is aligned with nursing excellence (Stimpfel, Sloane, McHugh, & Aiken, 2015). With the expectation of nursing excellence, the role of the nurse has expanded over the years with the current trend of focus on policy change. These policy changes are geared towards changes in patient care which will have a positive impact on patient outcomes. The nurse can become a leader in advocacy with the goal of raising awareness to health care concerns (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O'Grady, 2016). The purpose of this post is to describe two organizations which impact the practice of nursing and show the role these organizations play in nurse education and research.
As a healthcare assistant, self-advocacy plays a crucial role in my profession. Self-advocacy is the capacity and method of speaking up for oneself in a medical setting. It entails actively advocating for oneself, standing up for one's rights, and making choices that are in line with one's own health and well-being. In my position, I empower patients by giving them the tools, knowledge, and support they need to engage in self-advocacy.
I am passionate about advocacy. As a nurse and officer, I must often advocate for my patients and the soldiers who serve under my leadership because I recognize keeping them at the center will improve overall outcomes, satisfaction and morale. Despite the challenges and push back I may encounter as an advocate, it is my responsibility to the patient and soldier. The competencies acquired with this specialty will mature my advocacy. Additionally, I will be
Nurses have an important role in the political process because they can offer their experience and knowledge to current healthcare issues. They can affect the political arena by actively participating in lobbying and creating an awareness for their cause. In addition, nurses play a role in patient advocators, so it is only natural for them to become involved in the political process. In the following discussion, meaning of a lobbyist and advocate will be defined as well as the similarities and differences and how it is related to the organization I chose with regards whether it advocates or a lobbyist.
Nursing has never been simple or easy, nor is serving as a patient advocate. However, it is important to include advocacy as a part of nursing. Advocacy is standing up for the rights of all individuals and must include interpersonal relationships between nurses, patients, professional colleagues, and the public. Nightingale’s experiences in nursing demonstrated to her the value of advocating for nurses and patients.
Once the nurse fully understands and comprehends the entire situation, ethical decision making should be clearer based on the biblical principles he has established for himself. I use to think that a nurse leader was only someone who was the smartest and fastest when caring for a patient. Bed Number Ten has made me realized that a nurse leader is one who has characteristics such as environmental awareness, patience, and compassion. As I result, I aim to include these characteristics into my nursing care.
Marquis and Huston (2014) discuss how the mark of a good nursing leader is in the ability to inspire and motivate others to action; furthermore, no one leadership style is ideal and may vary according to the situation. The purpose of this paper is to match and explain the nursing leadership theory that is most applicable to solving communication issues, and to explain how legislation and health care policy can impact communication issues in the nursing. Nursing Leadership Theory Nursing leadership is complex and multifaceted and has been cited as a main reason nurses leave their current position (Blake, Leach, Robbins, Pike, & Needleman, 2013). Blake et al.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has a strong stance on nurses and leadership. They believe that nurses are a vital component to health care system and nurses in leadership roles can have a positive impact on such. Nurses are in all sorts of roles within the health care systems ranging from a staff nurse, nurse managers, to advance practice, all the way to congress (Finkelman & Kenner, 2013). In addition, they even serve in the boardroom within some health care organizations. Leadership doesn’t necessarily mean a nurse in a manager position, but a nurse who has an influence on staff.
Public Health In community health setting, Advanced Practice Nurses serve as clinicians, nurse educators or administrators. They provide services in schools, day care centers, community health clinics, group homes as well as in skilled nursing facilities. They are involved in the health of new mothers and babies through pre-and post-natal care, preventing domestic violence and child abuse through education and awareness
A good nurse is someone who is compassionate, empathetic, and has a desire to truly want to care for the well being of others. A good nurse is also someone who is knowledgeable and also stays current in the medical field. As an advocate, nurses should empower patients by motivating and encouraging them to be active in their own care, also making sure the patients voice is being heard, and ensuring proper care is being performed in the best interest of the patient. A nurse is also an educator; nurses have the responsibility of educating their patients on their medical condition when the patient does not understand their prognoses. When a patient has a lack of knowledge of the care that is being provided, the nurse also has a responsibility to explain the care and why it will help the patient in the process.
Reflection Qualities that make an effective nursing leader are the same qualities that many other nursing staff and general public possess. Such as, the ability to support and empower their team members, be well organized, remain consistent with their expectations, and be able to communicate with their team. Support and empower the team members An example of this quality is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on one of the units at Wascana Rehabilitation Center (WRC), where I had one of my clinical rotations. This nurse would ask each staff member if they had any concerns during their daily huddles.
Across the United States, it is common to find nurse-managed health centers that offer accessible health care services to the people. Nurse-managed health centers are a basic necessity in healthcare because they provide affordable and deserved care to the unprivileged population, while at the same time educating and training nurse practitioners. Usually, such health care institutions are led by an advanced practice nurse and as a result, need careful and efficient management and leadership skills and models. With the role that these centers serve, there is a need for an advocacy strategy for the nurse-managed health centers as a way of overseeing their effectiveness in service delivery grow. One of the factors that can improve management delivery
They are able to connect, communicate and coordinate across multiple departments, professional opinions and voices, and the daily schedules of patients. Advocating and designing care with the patient and family is a true skills set and cultural attribute that adds tremendously to a culture of safety and patient – centeredness but requires the most able leadership to build these bridges across the many professionals engaged in care. Building this culture is a leadership challenge and there is no one in my experience better able to make these changes than nursing leaders ( Maureen Bisognano, 2009). Nurses should not just be at the bedside or within the nursing community but must be involved as leaders and decision – makers throughout the healthcare system. As Maureen Bisognano (2009) points out, the best nurses are accomplished envoys among different players and interests involved in direct patient care, which is a skill needed throughout organizations and businesses, not just in hospitals or
(Nursing Times). Nursing is gaining influence in all aspect of healthcare practice, therefore it is important for nurses to develop good leadership skills at the early stage of their practice which is the key to all nursing career and nurse managers can become good leaders with effective training and enhancement of their skills in leadership. Most nursing managers are tossed around by their leaders when they themselves are leaders in their capacities. A nursing manager aspiring to become a leader must be committed to excellence and passion for patient’s advocacy, employee’s protection and be a role model, living by example.