Essay NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management

Effective leadership and management positively impact patient outcomes by creating conditions, which enable nurses to reach their full potential. It also builds both organizational and personal resilience despite unexpected or increased workload. This paper explores an issue in nursing practice and discusses the different approaches nursing leaders and managers take to address it.

Nursing Turnover

Nurse turnover is an increasingly growing human resource issue that currently affects the healthcare system globally. It is associated with various reasons such as unhealthy working environments, job insecurity, ineffective communication, poor salaries, lack of recognition and reward, low job satisfaction and motivation levels, and family-related causes (Dewanto & Wardhani, 2018). It adversely affects patient care services since the skills of new or replacement nurses do not often meet the expected standards. Besides, new nurses require adaptation and orientation process (Dewanto & Wardhani, 2018). Patient care provided by new nurses is at times less than optimal due to communication barriers between experienced and new nurses and between the new nurses and other providers.

Nursing turnover contributes to hospital staffing problems due to the loss of experienced and trained nurses, shortages, and imbalanced composition of new and experienced nurses. The nursing shortage results in high nurse-to-patient ratios, which affects the quality and safety of nursing care as evidenced by missed nursing care and medical errors (Dewanto & Wardhani, 2018). The staffing problems make it challenging to set nursing schedules, which necessitates increased nursing overtime. Overtime is associated with nursing burnout, which lowers the job satisfaction and motivation of nurses. Nursing burnout is attributed to reduced quality of care and compromised patient safety.

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

How Professional Standards of Practice Should Be Demonstrated in This Situation

Professional standards of practice should be used to identify areas for improvement in nursing practice and the work environment and improve workplace safety for nurses. These standards are vital in ensuring that organizations implement interventions to promote nursing retention and reduce turnover. Nurses should be offered a professional nursing practice environment where they have autonomy and control over the nursing practice in their workplace (Ofei et al., 2021). Opportunities should be provided for nurses to be involved in decision-making regarding nursing practice. Besides, Nursing leadership should provide appropriate preparation, resources, and information to nurses engaged at all levels of decision-making.

Routine mandatory overtime should never be used as a solution to attaining appropriate nurse staffing. Nurse managers should develop policies regarding the length of nursing shifts and management for mealtimes and rest periods (Ofei et al., 2021). In addition, overtime policies should be created to promote nurses’ health and stamina and prevent fatigue-related medical errors. Organizations must establish a work environment that values nurses as strategic assets and fills budgeted positions promptly to increase nurses’ morale (Ofei et al., 2021). Furthermore, the organization’s policies should support nurses’ capacity to practice to the full extent of their education, competencies, and scope of practice.

Differing Roles of Nursing Leaders and Nursing Managers

Both nurse leaders and managers seek to provide top-quality care in an efficient, meaningful way. Nurse leaders address turnover rates by implementing an effective leadership style to provide a good and favorable environment where they get job satisfaction resulting in increased retention (Naseer et al., 2017). In addition, leaders should advocate for nurses’ welfare and call for the management to improve the working conditions, staffing ratios and provide staff development opportunities. Nurse leaders provide a supportive organizational culture, which increases nurses’ morale and reduces the intention to leave (Naseer et al., 2017). Nurse leaders also listen to nurses’ grievances to understand why they intend to leave the organization and present their concerns to the management team. Furthermore, they empower nurses and encourage teamwork, which increases job satisfaction and lowers turnover.

One of the responsibilities of nurse managers is retention. Nurse managers act as a link between the management team and bedside nurses and take up roles that bridge organizational and professional goals. For example, they evaluate nursing scheduling and staffing practices in the organization and develop staffing plans to ensure the needs of patients are served (Ofei et al., 2021). Managers also create staff development plans such as continuing education to motivate nurses and improve their knowledge and skills to provide competent care (Ofei et al., 2021). Nurse managers also motivate nurses through rewards such as increased salaries and education opportunities to improve their job motivation and reduce the intention to leave.

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

Additional Aspects Managers and Leaders Would Need to Initiate to Ensure Professionalism

Nurse managers and leaders need to create standards of professional behavior in the work setting to promote professionalism. Managers and leaders need to identify the nurse’s role to understand their job, role expectations, and how they are different from other healthcare professionals (McKenzie et al., 2019). Nurse leaders should discuss standards of professional behavior with nurses to ensure they fully understand their accountability as professionals. In addition, managers need to review nurses’ professional practice model, which is a framework that supports professional nurses in their daily practice (McKenzie et al., 2019). Furthermore, managers and leaders need to create a professional practice environment, which focuses on safety, quality, continuity of care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional accountability.

Leadership Style That Would Best Address the Chosen Issue

Leadership styles significantly influence staff nurse’s job retention. A transformative leadership style would be the best to address nursing turnover in organizations. According to Iqbal et al. (2020), the transformational leadership style contributes to a higher degree of employee motivation and performance. Transformative leaders lead employees through inspiration and motivation and instill valuable and positive changes (Iqbal et al., 2020). Besides, transformative leaders inspire employees to achieve unexpected levels and produce outstanding outcomes. As a result, the employee’s attitudes change to improve their motivation to achieve organizational goals (Naseer et al., 2017). When nurses identify their leader as transformational, their psychological empowerment is enhanced, resulting in higher well-being. This type of leadership increases nurses’ commitment to their organizations, reduces the intention to leave, and lowers turnover.

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR

Conclusion

The nursing turnover rate is the major cause of the nursing shortage and negatively impacts the financial status of organizations and the quality and safety of patient care. Professional standards guide the management team to develop retention strategies, safe staffing practices, and healthy working environments. Nurse leaders act as change agents and influence and motivate nurses to achieve specific desired outcomes. On the other hand, managers create a healthy work environment supporting nursing practice and developing plans to increase retention. Nurse managers and leaders need to establish professional practice environments that promote professionalism.

References

Dewanto, A., & Wardhani, V. (2018). Nurse turnover and perceived causes and consequences: a preliminary study at private hospitals in Indonesia. BMC nursing, 17(Suppl 2), 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-018-0317-8

Iqbal, K., Fatima, T., & Naveed, M. (2020). The impact of transformational leadership on nurses’ organizational commitment: A multiple mediation model. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology, and Education, 10(1), 262-275.

McKenzie, L., Shaw, L., Jordan, J. E., Alexander, M., O’Brien, M., Singer, S. J., & Manias, E. (2019). Factors influencing the implementation of a hospital-wide intervention to promote professionalism and build a safety culture: a qualitative study. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 45(10), 694-705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.07.005

Naseer, A., Perveen, K., Afzal, M., Waqas, A., & Gillani, S. A. (2017). The impact of leadership styles on staff nurses’ turnover intentions. IJARBS, 7(12), 665-73. https://doi.org/10.21276/sjmps.2017.3.10.20

Ofei, A. M. A., Paarima, Y., Barnes, T., & Kwashie, A. A. (2021). Staffing the unit with nurses: the role of nurse managers. Journal of Health Organization and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-04-2020-0134

NRS 451 VN Topic 2 Benchmark Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management KR