The role of the nurse in the contemporary healthcare setting is wide and it transcends beyond the traditional concept of the roles and scope of work for a nurse. Patient needs have diversified in the same way as populations volumes and numbers seeking care have increased. The healthcare system is demanding more from the nurses and it is apparent that nurses have to adapt to these needs if at all they have to assure the patient population of positive outcomes (Fennimore & Wolf, 2011). For nurse managers, the role is even wider. Not only do they have to work closely with the patient population and their families, they also have to participate and perform administrative, leadership and management roles that lead to the operationalization of the healthcare facility where they are based and the healthcare sector in general (DeCampli, Kirby & Baldwin, 2010). On the other hand, the nurse manager has to ensure that they remain competitive in the job market including at a personal level. The nurse manager skills inventory is a tool that affords the nurse manager an opportunity for self-reflection in which one can determine their growth and development across various aspects of the professional and personal life (AACN, 2008). This paper will provide a reflection of my growth within four different areas in a bid to identify my strengths and weaknesses and make necessary strategies to overcome the weaknesses and maximize the value of the strengths.
Personal and professional accountability
On this element, I feel that I possess competent experience and skill that can help me in my future. Over the course of my curriculum, I have managed to attend various forums organized by the nurses’ professional bodies and this has helped me develop networks and keep in touch with the developments and emerging issues in the nursing sector. I am currently a member of the American Nurses Association and my plan is not only to increase my networks as a member but also hold leadership positions within the organization. I have always ensured that my certifications are up to date and worked to preserve the value of the nurse as perceived by the society by upholding the code of ethics for nurses. I hold the valuable Certified Nurse Leader and Manager (CNLM) certificate which ahs enabled me to practice as a nurse leader within a reputable organization. I am a firm believer in truth and I would not shy away from telling the patient or their family the truth behind any issue even when it works against their belief or perception. I know as a leader I have to protect the policy of my organization, that of the nursing fraternity as well as advocate for patients rights (DeCampli, Kirby & Baldwin, 2010). This is a task I have managed to accomplish over time but it grows with experience. I am looking forward to working with more professional bodies and particular the American Organization of Nurse Executives which will help me link with other nurse leaders to share the emerging issues on cursing leadership.
Career planning
I think this has been my best skill so far and one that has enabled me to rise to leadership posotiions both formal and informal over short duration of time. I attribute this to working with my long term mentor, a Registered Nurse for over 33 years and a Scholar in healthcare matters who despite her numerous roles in leadership at a local and national level has maintained touch with the patients and families at the clinical setting. She is a close relative and while I would not say I sought my inspiration from her to join the profession, she has helped me grow over the years as a mentor. Presently, I wish to pursue my education beyond the master’s degree level and work closely with researchers through the professional organizations where I hold membership or at my place of work (Fennimore & Wolf, 2011).
Personal journey disciplines
Leaders of the contemporary healthcare setting have to develop an aspect of problem solving. The range of issues that patients present cannot be managed by a single methodology or approach. In fact, it is a complex process that involves working with others in the workplace and developing a liking for new knowledge and ideas. I am a firm believer in the concepts of Evidence-Based practices (EBP) and I have worked with nurse educators and students to develop new approaches for managing emerging issues within the limited resources and an environment characterized by demands for cost-effectiveness. I however think that I have not utilized the electronic health records as well as the existing technologies to optimize the value of EBP and this is the new challenge that I would want to pursue. This will resonate well with my passion for continued learning, research and scholar work (DeCampli, Kirby & Baldwin, 2010).
Reflective practice reference behaviors/tenets
As a professional, it is easy to work towards professional goals and forget the ‘self’. I think this has been my other area of weakness. I have found myself at times dedicating too much time and energy to the professional life with significant compromise on the personal life. However, as much as I know it is not healthy, I do not intend to compromise on the professional progress I have made so far. Rather, I am seeking to develop a personal plan that will accommodate my personal life and the professional life (DeCampli, Kirby & Baldwin, 2010). I want to work more closely with my mentor who despite many roles has found the time for self and for others close to her. On this aspect of reflective practice, I think my greatest strength has been the ability to develop a network of colleagues and friends with significant diversity which has helped me learn how to work with different groups and types of people. I have in the course developed a technique for man management and this is a positive phase as a leader.
Using current leadership skill set to advocate for change in the workplace
As a leader, I have recognized the value of helping people grow professionally and as a person. In my advocacy for change, I intend to introduce the mentor-mentee programs as in-house policies. I would want to push for a situation where the mentors are rewarded or provided with incentives for good work when working with the new nurses and the novices. I believe that when we appreciate it is not possible to buy experience and the costs that would be incurred on the incentive program for mentor nurses would not in any way be comparable to the long term benefits of such a program. I will work towards lobbying for an increased budget that will actualize this program (DeCampli, Kirby & Baldwin, 2010).
Personal goal and implementation plan
At a personal level, my goal is to work towards developing a national program that recognizes the role of mentors in healthcare. In this case, I look forward to a time when each healthcare facility will have a record of its mentor-mentee achievements which in the end will help develop platforms for collaboration in scholar work and nurse education between the experience nurses and the new nurses who possess are vibrant, energetic and curious but devoid of experience (Fennimore & Wolf, 2011). To achieve this, I want to work with the American Organization of Nurse Executives a professional body that has a more in-depth understanding of the role of the nurse leader or manager so as to create awareness on how mentor-mentee programs can impact the sector. The American Organization of Nurse Executives has the numbers and the influence at state and national levels and these numbers if marshaled together can amass the power to call for legislation that will regard the mentor-mentee program as a requirement for healthcare facilities and provide a standardized method for accomplishing the same.
References
AACN. (2008). Nurse Manager Inventory Tool. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.org/wd/practice/docs/nurse-manager-inventory-tool.pdf
DeCampli, P., Kirby, K. K., & Baldwin, C. (2010). Beyond the classroom to coaching: preparing new nurse managers. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly,33(2), 132-137.
Fennimore, L., & Wolf, G. (2011). Nurse manager leadership development: leveraging the evidence and system-level support. Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(5), 204-210.
