Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are one of the most serious problems that face the American healthcare system. With one in every twenty patients admitted in hospitals being affected directly by HAIs, measures should be adopted to minimize such incidences. The issues of HAIs are a difficult concept due to the risk of fatality as some of the infections are dangerous. Some of the infections may lead to accidents and injuries within the hospital setting. Leadership plays a major role in reducing HAIs within the healthcare setting. Compared to other leadership models, Robert Katz’s (1955) three-skill approach qualifies as the best option that can be used in solving the issue of injuries due to healthcare-associated infections.
Katz’s (1955) three-skill approach encompasses three elements, which are technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills. Technical skill entails one having the ability to demonstrate proficiency in a particular task, while human skill refers to one’s knowledge and about and being able to work collaboratively with others. Conceptual skill entails one’s ability to shape the direction of organizational policies to achieve the best outcome (Northouse, 2016). The study in question is fundamental as it encompasses all the three aspects. There is need to understand the various aspects that lead to HAIs, such deficiency in hospital resources, poor water hygiene, lack of adherence to safety procedures when handling equipment in operating rooms, among others. These are representative of the technical aspect of the topic in question. Nurses among other healthcare professionals may be negligent in following hospital guidelines, for instance when handling surgery equipment, thereby exposing patients to HAIs. It could also be that there are no effective policies and procedures, which guide healthcare workers on appropriate ways of dealing with patients to ensure the best possible outcome ( Carayon et al., 2014) . These two points are representative of both human and conceptual aspects of Katz’s three-skill approach respectively. With such an understanding, it becomes evident that the proposed leadership is appropriate in addressing the issue from technical, human, and conceptual perspectives.
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Leaders ought to have the knowledge about the competency as well as proficiency in the nursing sector. For example, leaders need to have the ability to understand some of the best ways to use healthcare equipment in a way that they do not lead to injuries, infections, or accidents. Research shows that leaders in a healthcare setting cannot be able to monitor how practitioners are handling different affairs that pertain to health if they are not aware of what is supposed to be done. Therefore, the leaders ought to have the technical skills to be able to assist the other practitioners in dealing with the issue of HAIs. For example, leaders need to understand how to use protective equipment properly within the healthcare setting. This is because it is the mandate of leaders to educate the subordinates on how to use such equipment in the right manner ( Carayon et al., 2014) . Consequently, leaders must also be able to evaluate if the nurses use the equipment in the right manner. There is no way that the leaders can monitor and offer guidance to the nurses if they do not have an understanding of how to best use the equipment. The same case applies to the consistency in the use of the evidence-based practices in nursing ( LoBiondo-Wood, & Haber, 2017) . Leaders ought to have an understanding of the evidence-based guidelines about the practice of healthcare infections, their control, and prevention in the country. They should understand these concepts to be able to guide the employees effectively on how to deal with certain issues that are necessary for the healthcare setting.
Human skill is essential for leaders in a healthcare scenario as they would be in a better situation to reduce HAIs effectively ( Carayon et al., 2014) . Human skills enable leaders to work with people, get along with them, work within teams, and communicate with them. Communication is an essential tool when it comes to the issue of HAIs reduction. Leaders need to share knowledge with healthcare practitioners in a way that has a positive impact on the risk of contracting HAIs. This requires efficient communication by leaders on what the nurses and other healthcare practitioners should do to succeed in their quest to prevent any harm to the patients ( LoBiondo-Wood, & Haber, 2017) . Responsibility for risk reduction in most cases involves institution administrators, the practitioners, as well as, the directors. Leaders play the role of inculcating values that encourage positive behaviors, which in return lead to a performance in an organization. It is through having a collective behavior that the organization can have a culture. The engagement that nursing leaders have towards collaboration with the coworkers and the administrators in a healthcare setting when it comes to safety, teamwork, and communication, is critical in the improvement of safe as well as reliable care ( Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2017) . Communication between leaders and practitioners is important in ensuring that the organization effectively implements new technologies and evidence-based practices. The leaders must foster the development of strategies that ensure there is the implementation of evidence-based care within the hospital environment ( Carayon et al., 2014) . Each institution through its leadership must be able to communicate the evidence-based practices to the practitioners and ensure that leaders have the necessary expertise to effectively deal with the infection control practices. The leaders also need to receive feedback on the progress that the hospital is making about the prevention of healthcare related infection.
According to Robert Katz (1955), the conceptual skills among leaders mean the ability of such leaders to work with ideas and concepts. These skills enable the leader to make the right decision on the right course of action to attain the right outcome ( LoBiondo-Wood, & Haber, 2017) . For a hospital to be able to reduce the number of healthcare-related infections, then it has design strategies that will ensure all the healthcare practitioners comply with the set guidelines ( Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2017) . Leaders must be able to ensure they select interventions that have a higher chance of leading to successful outcomes about the reduction of HAIs. For example, healthcare institutions must create an expectation of having practitioners provide reliable performance such as hand hygiene and using gloves properly ( Carayon et al., 2014) . Research shows that some hospitals have substandard adherence to basic interventions, which requires the intervention of leaders to attain the right results. Based on the conceptual skills, it is important for healthcare institutions to focus mainly on process improvements to sustain best practices. Conceptual skills enable leaders to make the necessary improvements in the hospital settings to attain the best outcomes ( Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2017) .
Leadership plays an important role in ensuring that interventions have been implemented to reduce HAIs in a hospital setting. Leaders can benefit a lot from communication, selection, and implementation of the best practices. It is paramount for the leaders to know the right course of action when it comes to dealing effectively with the issue of HAIs. Lastly, human skills enhance communication between the leaders and the other healthcare practitioners.
References
Carayon, P. et al., (2014). Human factors systems approach to healthcare quality and patient safety. Applied ergonomics , 45 (1), 14-25.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice . (7 th Ed.). SAGE Publication.
LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2017). Nursing Research-E-Book: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice . Elsevier Health Sciences.
Sherwood, G., & Barnsteiner, J. (Eds.). (2017). Quality and safety in nursing: A competency approach to improving outcomes . John Wiley & Sons.
