Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management (Benchmark Assessment)
Introduction
Leadership is an art as well as a discipline that guides, motivates, directs and inspires an organization towards fulfillment. The nursing leadership, therefore, has much to do in today’s healthcare environment, that undergoes intense and continuous reforms. Gifted nurse leaders and managers strive hard to impart higher quality of life in patients, while accelerating the health care systems to inspire the next generation of leaders (Edmunds, n.d.). The Magnet Designation is an important step in achieving such competences among the nursing workforce. Magnet hospitals are hailed for their high quality care delivery and innovative nursing environment. The nurses value their jobs at Magnet institutions, as they get ample opportunities for their professional development, accomplishment recognitions, influence in workplace decisions, and the provision of outstanding patient care. As such, it is essential to evaluate their competence in their new roles in the ever changing healthcare environment. The significance and focus of this paper is to compare and contrast the approach expectations of the nursing leaders and managers in Magnet Designation, as well as identifying a befitting approach that conforms to the values and beliefs in nursing, and their leadership styles (Pursuing Magnet Designation).
Magnet Designation
A magnet designated hospital is committed to promote the nursing culture and decision making of the patients, as well as, professional education, career development, and the nursing leadership. It hallmarks excellence, and was evolved out of the nursing shortages occurred during the 1970s and 1980s, which forced the American Academy of Nursing to evaluate the 163 hospitals, in 1983. The study identified several attributes of workplaces that attract and hold nurses. These attributes are called the 14 Forces of Magnetism, which became the determining elements of the American healthcare organizations in receiving the Magnet designation. For getting the Magnet status, the hospitals must acquire and retain the best facilities with a better nurse satisfaction rate. It is necessary that the nursing leadership and managers work harmoniously within their given roles to attain the goals of identifying, organizing and accomplishing the tasks to achieve nursing excellence, through ensuring increased rate of staff participation. This means, all nurses in an organizational setting must work together for achieving the main goal, while depending on each other for brilliance (Pursuing Magnet Designation).
Nursing Leaders and Managers
In comparing and contrasting the competence of nursing leaders and managers, it must be considered that the management achieves goals by organizing and motivating the workforce. Management is the procedure of establishing and achieving the desired organizational goals through its major functions, such as forecasting, grouping, harmonization, training and monitoring competence evaluation. Leadership pertains to the ability to influence, guide, and making others to follow, as well as, becoming a teacher to the human business side. In leadership, fresh ideas are introduced by the leaders to solve the old problems, using their basic instincts, whereas, managers find solutions, sans risks. A leader is someone who attracts people naturally by their own, whereas, a manager makes others obey. A manager occupies his position of authority, through the loyalty and service given to the company, for a particular period, and does not relate to the outcome of the leadership qualities. Most often, leaders do not acquire any organizational skills, but their inherent vision binds the people around them. Leadership and management are two different entities; the manager is a career, and the leadership is a calling (Popovici, 2012).
Contemporary theories, values and beliefs in nursing
Many contemporary theories have originated during the past decade, and some of them were charismatic, competency based, transactional, and transformational. Charismatic leaders are those who lead by developing relationships, through their personality traits for attaining shared goals and aspirations. Transactional leadership corresponds to the principles of social-exchange theory (ANCC, 2006, p. 1). Competency-based theory is a novel way of gaining high performance by incorporating economic, organizational and behavioral elements in a framework that has dynamic, systemic, cognitive and holistic approaches (Sanchez & Heene, 2004).
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is revolutionary, and supports the needs of the subordinates, but at the same time increases the awareness of the follower to meet higher needs (Bass, 1985, p. 14). Such leaders are often entrusted with management positions in companies that need a spark to perform. They have typical charisma, and have the ability to build up a vision and inspire the followers to attain it. Also, they can quickly evaluate a company's current condition, and formulate a method for overcoming the hurdles towards development. A nurse, as a leader and manager, who wants to lead a healthcare staff should embrace the transformational leadership style. It is because, a transformational leader does not always look forward to a position of market leadership, but is more concerned with making things go smoothly, by adhering to self-motivation and focused on team building. No apparent force of discipline will be instituted by that leadership, as it is based on the concept that the subordinate staff too, has the motivation to perform their jobs, through positive incentives (Commuter, 2012).
Performance expectations in a Magnet facility
A Magnet facility needs efficient nurse leaders who can support the staff as well as the patients, while acquiring adequate financial and human resources. By using values that are derived out of consensus of nursing and fiscal leaders, the Workforce Analytics for Healthcare can take hiring decision, if productivity falls below the fixed standard and prerequisite level. Expectations of the Professional development Magnet hospitals are always above the minimum requirements, and so, they used to train the new staff and provide them better opportunities in continuing education programs. In order to demonstrate that the organization values and promotes the professional development and career growth of its staff, the Workforce Scheduler will allow the managers to access to nurses’ skills, certifications, education, competencies, and other credentials (Pursuing Magnet Designation).
Performance expectations for the nurse managers are complex and they often put stress on them. Increasing role expectations place them in difficult situations, and harms the nurse manager and work outcomes. There are implication in developing nurse managers on the basis of competencies. Therefore, the nurses need to be built up in a way that they acquire these competencies through practice, education and role-modeling. This improvement can create an effective step in imbibing them the required knowledge and skills, so as to impact upon the organizations at the unit levels, which are the staff and patients. After all, the most competencies in approach of nurses, in the roles of managers and the leaders, can be described as “Nurse Managers have to lead with their heart, as well as their head. It is critical to know, when to use what, and to recognize that staff members, respond first and foremost to kindness” (Chase, 2010).
Conclusion
Nurses, who trust their colleagues, and admit that they do have skills and experience, will earn more collaboration and teamwork. The managers, by executing timely performance reviews and establishing professional goals with the cooperation of the subordinates, can bring job satisfaction and improvement in nursing. Workforce HR can also remind the managers how and when to schedule the employees’ reviews. An online template meant for the managers and employees, will set performance goals of the nurses. Managers shall utilize an automated system to monitor and update the progress of the nurses, so that they will get the opportunity for the feedback, regarding their expectations and performance. Such a move can enhance their morale and job security. Well defined professional goals will also help the nurses improve in the organization (Pursuing Magnet Designation).
References
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Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, NY: The Free Press.
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Commuter, T. (2012). Transactional leadership versus transformational leadership. All nurses.com. Retrieved January, 28, 2016 from
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Edmunds, E. (n.d.). Leadership style of nurse managers in a designated magnet hospital. Walsh University. Retrieved January, 28, 2016 from
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=walsh1398030398&disposition=inline
Popovici, V. (2012). Similarities and differences between management and leadership. Constantin Brancusi University. Constatin Brancusi University of Targu Jiu Annals - Economy Series. Vol: 2(6), 126-135. Retrieved January, 28, 2016 from
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Pursuing Magnet Designation. (n.d.). Nursing excellence retains nurses and communicates quality to patients. Kronos. Retrieved January, 28, 2016 from
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Sanchez, R. (2004, May). Success factors, competitive advantage and competence development. Journal of Business Research, 57 (5), 518-532.
