Introduction
What is the problem?
The dilemma in which nurse Munoz is, instead of nursing units to be organized and split up for better services. This increases effective and efficiency in services and care of the patient since they are independent in their environment of work. This is opposite of what she have been reading in leadership theory which she was expecting to be of inspiration by the new knowledge and find out better ways in problems solving. This bring up a total dramatically different from what it is stated in the theory. According to many articles they call for motivation in leadership which is common leadership hence empowering the staff nurses.
What are the key issues?
The key issues in nursing work environment are everyone is boss, have new role to play, higher position and followers consequently consolidating the nurses’ functions as they tamper with their services. Due to this consolidation and reorganization nurse managers are accountable for various nursing units. In ambulatory clinics they are realigned to report to physician director of clinics whereas the inpatient nurse managers are responsible for various nursing units. The resultant cause exhaustion in inpatient clinical departments since there is work overload. They feel diminished and angry because of the effects on the department of nursing (Hall, Doran, & Pink, 2004).
How should Nurse Munoz handle the situation?
Nurse Munoz can handle this situation by apply what she had been gathering from her studies in leadership theory and improve the work environment. Instead of being puzzled. By educating her workmates nurses what are the nursing department goals, since the unit goals develop from them. Every nurse must contribute to the formation of department goals in terms of philosophy of care and quality care which also represent personal goals. Due to unequal distribution of leadership this lead to nurses being diminished and not empowered.
According to Halverson, 1999, the inspiration that she has been reading to discover new ways of solving problems nurse Munoz can make situation better. The problem solver activities and the nature of the situation and the constraint of the environment are all influenced by how decision is made. Thus she should recognize these attributes as well as being sensitive to the factors affecting the nurses.
Using this decision making she can firmly empower the nurses and there be equal power sharing which later reduces overloading of some departments. This improves effectively and efficiently in their duties hence offering quality health care and services. Department managers engage in planning, organizing, and decision making in all health services so if the nurses could know this the final straw should not happen.
The promotion of the new directors within three month of the organization whereas the nurses manager remain at their previous level show that in that department there were no equal and well distribution of power. Through this some of the nurses are undermined, devalued and later become angry with such department hence causing inactive in the health care.
What should Nurse Munoz do first to develop leadership?
In my opinion, I think Nurse Munoz should still uphold her values and the better knowledge on how to improve the nursing environment despite the ups and down surrounding the present setting of her nursing environment.
Nurse Munoz can develop leadership through a number of ways. The nurse should still be committed to develop leadership ways that will ensure that she handles the situation in a way that will reap massive benefits to the organization that she is working at. After discovering the problems surrounding the nursing environment, it is advisable for her to look for the best ways to air her views and opinions about the situation. The nurse has to approach other nurses and they will decide to have a representative who will meet with the manager of the hospital and inform him about the overloads of work that they are experiencing and all the other forms of mistreatment.
Nurse Munoz must keep in mind that she is a role model to many therefore she will continue carrying all her assigned roles in a motivated sprit before all the involved stakeholders steps in to bring a solution to the hurdles that faces them. Nurse Munoz must ensure that her and other nurses are empowered and all their rights are respected. The situation of where the hospital management looks down upon nurses must be resisted with efforts so that the nurses are entitled to a new way of doing things as expected.
For her to develop leadership, she must remain a role model by ensuring that she performs all duties she is assigned in the most perfect way and at the same time meet with the management team to ensure that the rights and leadership roles of nurses are respected.
What leadership styles would be most appropriate in this situation?
A nurse must know that there is need for him to get involved in many leadership activities when performing the daily routine. There is need for the nurses to develop leadership styles so that they can handle the expected and unexpected situations in the nursing field. Effective leadership styles will lead to provision of quality patient care, ensure treatment and diagnosis of patients and reduce the length of hospital stay. This will lead to a positive development in the institution.
The leadership styles most appropriate to solve the situation in Nurse Munoz case are two; affiliative and democratic leadership styles. The affiliative style is whereby the nurses must ensure that they put the people first. The nursing management team must approach all the work force so that they can build understanding among all the involved team members. When the nurses come together in unison to share their experiences, they will come up with solution to their problems. The nurses will decide on how best to best conduct themselves to ensure effective team work and decision making. As a team, they will give their opinions to the top executives who will step in to ensure that they solve the existing problems for the sake of better service delivery to the patient (Marquis & Huston, 2009).
In democratic leadership style, all nurses will be given a chance to participate in setting goals and making decisions concerned with their working environment. The workforce will suggest various ways to solve the situation and this will be recorded down so that the best conclusions are made. After wide consultations, the nursing leader will come up with the best decisions. The democratic style ensures that employees are impacted with skills and get involved in all forms of decision making in the institution.
What leadership and management strategies might be helpful?
Dr. Sherman stated that,” facilitating the growth and development of staff is an important nursing leadership function.” It is evident that there are many challenges surrounding the nursing working environment in the case study of Nurse Munoz. The best ways to solve these problems will be achieved by effective leadership and management strategies which include: appropriate motivation, regular communication and staff encouragement.
Marquis and Huston said that the appropriate motivation strategy covers the need to motivate all the nurses with the techniques that helps them in performing their duties. The nurses who were employed on earlier days must be given additional training so that they can be familiar with the current change of technology. This will help the nurses overcome problems that are associated with the current ways of handling patients when interventions are offered. The nurses must be motivated by promotions when they deliver their best in service delivery. The most performing nurses must receive salary and benefits increment and also job retention. The nurses are motivated in a way that they will be flexible to changes that are developed in the nursing environment and tis will reduce too much resistance from the employees.
The regular communication strategy helps nurse to have an open communication with all the nursing leaders. Krause said that,” Communication is power,” and when it’s realized it will be the right channel of nurses to air their grievances and the management board will well understand what they want to be corrected.
Staff encouragement is an effective strategy in the nursing environment. The nurses must be encouraged by getting empowered with values and new ideas that will contribute to quality service provision. When the management co-operate with the staff, this will indicate a high level of commitment and confidence in problem solving in the institution.
Work cited
Hall, L. M., Doran, D, & Pink, G. H. (2004). Nurse staff models, nursing hours, and patient safety outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration. 34(1). Retrieved November 15, 2008 from Oakland University, Moodle.
Halverson, P., K. (1999). Leadership skills and strategies for the integrated community health system. The 21st Century Health Care Leader. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved 5/14/08 from eBook Collection.
Krause, T. (2007). The effective safety leader: leadership style and best practices. The Magazine of Safety, Health and Loss Prevention, Occupational Hazards 69(12), 19. Retrieved 4/10/08 from ProQuest.
Marquis, B. & Huston, C., (2009). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
