In the current healthcare settings, nurses tend to gain more individually and professionally if they sufficiently adopt adequate leadership skills in administering their duties. In the field of healthcare, professional growth is imperative because it assists nurses and other healthcare professionals to develop new skills and knowledge which aids nurses to handle the constantly changing patient requirements (Fischer, 2016). By taking into account my experience as a certified and qualified nurse, this paper presents a comprehensive reflection of my leadership skills and advocacy towards my career development as a nurse. Basing on the results of the Skills Inventory of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurse Manager that I undertook, I was able to identify leadership traits in the character career planning of my personal and professional accountability, personal journal discipline as well as finalize with my reflective practice character.
Personal and Professional Accountability
On a personal level, I need to be conscious of what is required of the nursing profession. Accountability aspect makes me answerable for every action or decision I make (Porter & Malloch, 2015) . As a nurse, the American Nursing Association (ANA) code of conducts holds me accountable for my conducts (Fischer, 2016) . One of the main skills that have allowed me to discharge my duties effectively is the passion I have for sharpening my skills and aptitude with the target of delivering quality service to all patients. Likewise, enthusiasm has been my strength and drive for career growth, which has enabled me to undertake in-service training and courses which have equipped me with patients centered approach techniques. Besides, I always make efforts to learn from fellow nurses who exceed me with experience and knowledge. I also interact with nurses in various leadership positions which have enabled me to comprehend the diverse challenges faced by leaders. Also, I learn from the mistakes made by my colleagues, and therefore, enacting effective measures to make sure I do not make similar mistakes in the future (Porter & Malloch, 2015) . In working as a nurse, my weakness has been operating under strict supervision and meeting deadlines. I work best under minimal supervision. Moreover, working with strict deadlines may lead to medical errors which have a momentous impact on quality service provision.
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Career Planning
Career planning involves establishing future goals, which are essential since the goals set to support the career trend and challenge a person’s growth (Fischer, 2016). My career plans comprise of both long-term and short-term plans. I have a short term career plan that usually begins at the start of every year. The short-term plans have specific goals that I make efforts to achieve. The objectives encompass service provision, career growth, and the number of patients I attend to every day. These short-term goals are intended to strengthen my set objectives and give focus to the long-term targets, which spans for five years. The long-term career plans allow me to self-evaluate my weaknesses in the nursing career and formulate changes and adaption to my plan to match the existing scenarios (Porter & Malloch, 2015) . Furthermore, my career planning involves a stepwise and orderly progression in my educational accomplishments and personal growth, which allows me to be prepared sufficiently to take advantage of the numerous opportunity in the field of healthcare.
Personal Discipline Journey
In achieving progressive growth either individually or career-wise, there has to be persistence, personal indebtedness, or profound discipline to adhere to the plans set. For success to be realized, these disciplines must be constantly reviewed (Porter & Malloch, 2015) . Through the years, I have been able to access my strong point on the journey of personal disciplines; my successive leadership characters and accomplishments are proof of my life goals and self-discipline. I always adhere to the professional code of conducts, which specifies professional ethics. I am often obliged to spend more time taking care of patients during emergencies or those in critical conditions. Equally, being time conscious has enabled me to achieve my objectives on time management, which has influenced my individual life positively (Fischer, 2016) . The positive management skills I have attained have assisted me in prioritizing needs; therefore; I can achieve my objectives. I have experienced many shortcomings in my career planning, the major one being on my training, sometimes I found myself in a situation that needed greater intervention from more experience nurses which made me realize I needed more knowledge on crucial matters which can be lifesaving in the event there is no specialist in a particular clinical area.
Reflective Practice Reference Behavior
My experience as a nurse has equipped me with leadership abilities which have molded my personality and behavior. Every day in my nursing profession, I maintain values such as integrity, honesty, as well as visionary. These virtues are crucial in delivering quality care to patients. Moreover, I am a team player and at all times ready to cooperate with colleagues in achieving the outlined objectives of my healthcare facility.
Using my Current Skill Set to Advocate for Change
I would use my professional and leadership skill set to advocate for diversity and unity at my workplace. Cultural diversity is becoming an integral component of healthcare, and if not well addressed, it may impede the provision of quality and equitable care. I will, therefore, develop and implement strategies of ensuring that all the NPs develop a sense of tolerance, understanding, appreciating, and respecting the differences in others. These strategies include organizing team-building events, assigning individuals into teams based on merit and professional skills, and taking punitive measures against those who undermine the core values of unity and embracing diversity.
Personal Goal for Leadership Growth
My personal goal for leadership growth is to become the head of a countrywide nursing organization such as the American Nursing Association (ANA) and the American Organization or Nurse Executives (AONE). Through these nurse leadership opportunity, I will be well-positioned to advocate for changes that will positively influence the nursing profession and the healthcare landscape in the United States. To attain this pinnacle of nurse leadership, I will strive to maintain inquisitiveness, take up new challenges and responsibilities, and interact with nurse leaders and NPs in different platforms. I also have to stand out in advocating for nursing issues, supporting progressive issues, and uniting with nurses in opposing regressive policies.
References
Fischer, S. A. (2016). Transformational leadership in nursing: a concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 72 (11), 2644-2653.
Porter-O'Grady, T., & Malloch, K. (2015). Leadership in nursing practice . Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
