Implementing the Clinical Nurse Leader Role
Nurses are individuals who are very important in the society in that they help save the lives of people. However, clinical nurse leaders face a lot of problems in implementing changes in healthcare. In the first place, nurses pursue their education with no aim of becoming leaders. In this case therefore, the education system fails to give them even the basics about leadership. Their major weakness is that when assigned their duties, they have no ideas on leadership and therefore have no knowledge on how their roles should be played. Another challenge is that the society and the political system in particular are aware that the nurses have little or no knowledge. As a result, the nurses find themselves implementing policies imposed to them. Therefore in some instances, lack of freedom to develop and implement policies hinders the clinical nurse leaders in their pursuit for change in the healthcare system.
However, the nurse leaders have strengths that make them the right people to initiate and implement change in the healthcare system. In the first place, the nurses are individuals who are usually committed in their activities (Boltz, 2012). They pursue their career with passion and therefore are always willing to initiate changes where possible to ensure that their patients benefit from their efforts. Secondly, the fact that clinical nurse leaders are aware of the areas that need reform in the healthcare system means that they are in a better position to implement changes in the system.
Nurse leaders are the people who work with the other nurses. In this case therefore, these leaders are aware of ways they can use to influence the people they lead to ensure that the patients receive quality services. They know the needs of the other nurses and therefore they can use the knowledge they have to motivate them towards the achievement of healthcare reforms. Generally, even though the clinical nurse leaders face various challenges in the implementation of healthcare reforms, they are at a better position to implement these changes.
Evidence based approach is the best in solving the problems that face the healthcare system. Since the clinical nurse leaders are aware of the problems facing their areas of administration, they should be willing to undertake research to find out how the problems can be addressed (Morrison, 2009). In this regard, research process will be in a position to find out the cause of the problem and therefore a better solution can be found. After research has been carried out, various recommendations can be made regarding the changes. These recommendations should however be first tested before they can be made to be policies which should be implemented in the healthcare system.
Generally, the clinical nurse leaders have various roles to play in implementing changes in healthcare. They should initiate research activities on problems facing healthcare and them develop policies that should be implemented in the healthcare system and the nursing education. They should be given the chance to develop policies in the healthcare system and also help in implementing them. This means that they should lead the other nurses in implementing the changes. They should be made members of healthcare advisory boards so that they can give advice on various healthcare matters (Marcus, 2011). In addition, these leaders have the role to partner with the political system, other nurses and other clinical nurse leaders so that they can share ideas and get the necessary support from both the government and the public in implementing changes in the healthcare system.
Healthcare reforms in the United States require people who are committed to leading the others. These leaders should be able to closely monitor the activities of the other nurses as well as they also provide services to the patients. Close supervision of other nurses ensures safety of the patients in that these individuals are more trained than the other nurses. In addition, this leader should be an example to other nurses in taking care of the patients. This is the person who should ensure that there is proper co ordination in the healthcare centers so that the needs of each patient are closely addressed. This will ensure that the number of patients who die because of situations that can be prevented reduce to a significant level.
Clinical nurse leader is the person responsible of ensuring that the patients are safe and they receive quality services in the health centers. In this regard, this person gives education to the other nurses at the point of delivering health services. The officer therefore can give advice to other nurses in the performance of their duties. These officers also usually liaise with the officers concerned with giving education to the nurses so that areas that need attention can be addressed by the nurses during their studies. This makes it possible to produce highly qualified nurses who ensure quality service delivery.
The clinical nurse leader is usually involved in the provision of health care services. However, this person is accountable for the quality performance in the Microsystems he/she leads. The person ensures supervision of other nurses to ensure quality performance in the healthcare and careless accidents that lead to risky conditions of patients are avoided. In this regard, these individuals learn leadership skills throughout their studies to ensure that they have the necessary skills to lead and supervise other nurses.
For patients’ safety, the clinical nurse leaders ensure effective communication among the nurses. This person therefore ensures effective teamwork such that the problems facing the patients are discussed and a proper decision is arrived at that ensure that the patients are safe.
Generally, the clinical nurse leaders have faced various challenges in implementing healthcare reforms. The public and the education system have been behind these hindrances. However, the fact that these leaders are aware of the matters facing the healthcare system means that they have a major strength in dealing with the problems. Evidence based approach can be the best in initiating reforms in health care. Generally, these leaders are required by the current healthcare environment to be very active in ensuring healthcare reforms.
References.
Morrison, E. E., & Monagle, J. F. (2009). Health care ethics: Critical issues for the 21st century. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Marcus, L. J., Dorn, B. C., & McNulty, E. J. (2011). Renegotiating health care: Resolving conflict to build collaboration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Boltz, M. (2012). Evidence-based geriatric nursing protocols for best practice. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
