Abstract
An organization’s success is largely dependent on the leadership and management style used within it; and nursing organizations are no different. The need for effective leadership and management in nursing organizations is further emphasized by the fact that an assumption or mistake may lead to the loss of lives. Effective leadership and management are built upon various principles, one of which is effective communication. This paper will analyze a case scenario and the most effective communication technique that can be used to ensure proper leadership and management. The communication technique will be further analyzed in terms of strengths and weaknesses so as to show its effectiveness in not only solving the problem in the case scenario but also ensuring that such a problem dos not arise again.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGING IN NURSING
The concept of leadership and proper management of individuals and their respective duties is an integral part of efficiency in the running of any organization (Dasborough, 2006, p. 163). In the discipline of nursing, this aspect comes about in numerous ways. It is vital to note that nursing is a delicate profession that ideally needs the moral and ethical efforts of each concerned individual to safeguard the lives of patients (George, 2006, p. 778). In this paper, a case scenario that will be discussed is ideally integrated with a viable communication technique that if applicable, will go a long way in ensuring amicable and justifiable handling of the given problem.
The case scenario involves the position of a manager within the organization. The nurse manager ideally has various obligations in the organization. One of the duties that the nurse should ideally disseminate is the allocation of duties to the junior staff. In the case scenario, the holidays are Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year. The provisions in the scenario include the fact that there is no written or generally agreed kind of consensus or policy regarding the scheduling. As a result, the previous years’ holidays and their respective scheduling has been a complete nightmare. The staff and all concerned individuals in this regard have only merely made it through the situations through the past years. In this case scenario, there are about 35 registered nurses and an additional 10 unlicensed assistive personnel. The fact that there is expectation of a full census and the missing luxury of closing beds is the basis of the problem and dilemma for the leadership. The question is therefore posed, how does one proceed?
The above presented scenario evidently requires the proper application of certain communication skills (Barnlund, 2008, p. 47). The nurse leader who has the obligation of efficiently handling the given situation must integrate good communication techniques that would directly involve the concerned individuals. This is a positive mode of handling the situation given that it is crucial that an agreement is reached at amicably.
The communication technique that will be properly integrated here is the think tanks. This communication has been chosen as the ideal mode of solving the dilemma considering the fact that it involves and highly encourages interaction among the concerned group. It is a communication technique that if applied as properly as is required, will essentially bring satisfaction to every single involved individual, or at least the majority (Barnlund, 2008, p. 77).
The process involved here should incorporate the efforts and ideas of most of the group members. In this case, there should be a selection of at least seven nurses and one UAP. The chosen individuals should have certain attributes and characters that will be the genesis of their selection. An exotic milieu should be chosen as the setting for the group discussion. An exotic background largely positively influences the imagination of the involved individuals. It ideally fosters the germination and flourishing of ideas and developed perspectives (Barnlund, 2008, p. 103).
The presented case scenario calls for the amicable solving of the situation especially for the purpose of combating similar cases in future. As a result, the think tank system and technique of communication is essential in dealing with the situation. It is upon the chosen individuals to come up with a viable solution that will amicably solve the presented situation. As such, there needs to be frequent meetings with the group members so as to ensure the fruitfulness of the situation (Dasborough, 2006, p. 163).
The presented ideologies and perspectives regarding the proper handling of the situation will be forwarded and ideally recorded through the process of the frequent meetings. As a result, there will be the luxury of choosing the right path as the nurse manager. This is so considering the fact that it will be just a matter of integrating analyzed ideas that arose during the meetings of the group. This way the nurse in-charge will ensure there is a relaxed environment regarding this issue in the organization. This aspect arises from the fact that the decision and stand made will be a creation of the concerned individuals. This aspect therefore implies that the chances of having the gloom effect of individuals arising from the fact that they think the decision made is not considerate will be avoided.
In general, it is evident that the application of the think tank system of communication in the presented case will be ideal to solving it amicably. In the long run, there will be a decision that will see to it that the compulsory duty of not closing beds during the holidays, no matter how important, is fully adhered to by the professionals. Further, there will be policy and system in place that will be integrated in the working constitution and followed to through the coming years. This implies that there will be less wasting of time and efforts as the agreed policy will only need to be implemented (George, 2006, p. 781).
As such, it is evident that the think tank communication technique will ensure smooth flow of ideas that will ideally solve the problem presented in the given scenario. It is a mode of communication that can be used to solve numerous problems not only in the organization referred to here, but also numerous others. It therefore sufficiently proves its effectiveness
REFERENCES
Barnlund, D. C. (2008). A transactional model of communication. New Jersey: UNB
Dasborough, M.T. 2006.Cognitive asymmetry in employee emotional reactions to leadership
behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly 17(2), 163.
George, J.M. (2006). Leader Positive Mood and Group Performance: The Case of Customer
Service. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 25(9), 771-783
