Nurses are leaders as they direct, guide, lead and advocate on a daily basis (Sfantou et al. 2017). Effective leadership among nurses is critical as it leads to successful outcomes. Nurse deal with patients on a daily basis, and without proper guidance, patient safety will be at stake. Proper leadership is associated with inspiring confidence, increased productivity, strong morale, respect, and job satisfaction. The ensuing discussion is based on the D.A.R.E results, which will be applied in determining the style of leadership, leadership theory, application of leadership skills as a family nurse practitioner, understanding of cultural diversity and leadership factor into the development and success of interdisciplinary teams in healthcare.
Leadership Style
The results represent my autocratic style of leadership. This style integrates well with servant leadership. Autocratic leaders make decisions quickly. They embrace creativity, but they do not take too much time in making decisions (Sfantou et al. 2017). The results coincide with this leadership style considering from an expressive perspective, this leadership style is impulsive and manipulative. In the same vein, the driver behavioral style results indicate that the leader can achieve a lot within a very short time. A nurse leader employing the autocratic leadership style is independent, determined, forceful, decisive, problem solver, risk taker, action-oriented, assertive, and demanding (Sfantou et al. 2017). For instance, this style of leadership entails problem solving, taking action and being decisive. As a family nurse practitioner, this style will enable me to make decisions and take actions at appropriate time leading to patient satisfaction, patient safety and reduced adverse effects.
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Leadership Theory
Notably, I resonate with servant theory of leadership. Servant leadership emanates from deep within an individual (Aij & Rapsaniotis, 2017). A servant leader nurse is guided by the desire to serve others. Actually, successful servant leadership is based on building relationships. In the nursing profession, this can only be achieved by listening to the patients, being emphatic and aware. The D.A.R.E. results indicate that, one of the behavioral styles in leaders is that they are expressive. They derive joy from offering a helping hand to others, and they are fond of being social (Aij & Rapsaniotis, 2017). They exhibit leadership traits such as being influential, charming, verbal, optimistic, and enthusiastic. They are drivers in the sense that, they display traits of problem solving, being assertive and results-oriented. Indeed, these traits coincide with servant leadership in nursing (Aij & Rapsaniotis, 2017). Nurses who are servant leaders are always willing to help, and care. They strive to make something better. They take action to make things right. They are committed to assist fellow nurses to get work done. Servant leadership entails getting involved in initiatives of quality, safety, and promoting teamwork. Florence Nightingale is a good example of a nurse leader that demonstrated servant-leadership considering she was caring, and had compassion towards the ill (Savel & Munro, 2017).
Current Application of Leadership Skills
Currently, I am applying my leadership skills in class discussions by serving as the leader of the group discussions. My role is encouraging others to make their contributions, and promoting teamwork (Sfantou et al. 2017). As an advocate of servant leadership, I am committed in cultivating right attitude, speaking and acting with much more thought.
Applying Leadership Skills as a Family Nurse Practitioner
Considering I am a family nurse practitioner, my leadership skills will be vital in ensuring I am effective in provision of care towards my patients. This field demands that I offer direct patient care, and working closely with colleagues (Sfantou et al. 2017). My leadership skills will entail making appropriate and timely decisions on diagnostic tests, and being result-oriented especially while conducting examinations on my patients. The skills will enable me to show passion, care, being social and forming relationships with my patients especially while providing counseling to them. As a counselor, I will display skills of problem solving, and encouraging my patients. Nurse family practitioners sometimes prescribe medications, which will demand I listen to the patient, before I recommend a certain medication (Sfantou et al. 2017). I will strive to make things better for my patients, and taking the right action to assist the weak patients.
Leadership and Cultural Diversity
In the nursing field, nurses deal with patients from different social classes, education, race, language, family structure, and religion. As leaders, nurses need to understand that cultural diversity posits particular demands that have to be handled appropriately in a bid to offer culturally competent care (Murcia & Lopez, 2016). Nurse leaders have to apply effective interventions that will reflect understanding of the traditions and beliefs of their patients. Leaders have to understand that, patients come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds with unique needs and problems. One has to engage colleagues to help in understanding the appropriate treatment and medication patients, which coincides with their culture (Murcia & Lopez, 2016).
Interdisciplinary teamwork entails staff of different forms joining hands to share skills, knowledge, and expertise. For this team to be constituted properly, and eventually realize success, a focused, determined, result-oriented, and aggressive leadership is paramount. In healthcare, leadership plays a vital role in ensuring that, a nurse, physician, nurse practitioner, and social worker work in harmony. For interdisciplinary teams to work effectively, proper leadership is needed (Sfantou et al. 2017). In the development stage, the leader will play a vital role of ensuring that all the parties have the needed training and they possess the appropriate individual characteristics supporting interdisciplinary teamwork. The clarity of vision can only be well articulated by the right leadership, which goes a long way in ensuring the outcome is desirable (Sfantou et al. 2017).
Conclusion
In overall, nurses are leaders and effective leadership among them is critical as it leads to successful outcomes. Servant leadership is effective and appropriate among family nurse practitioners. It entails showing passion, care, and being social with patients and their loved ones. Leadership skills are applicable in dealing with patients coming from diverse cultures, considering treatment and other medical interventions are unique to traditions. For interdisciplinary teams to work effectively, proper leadership is needed as it ensures that patient needs are met, besides ensuring vision clarity.
References
Aij, K. H., & Rapsaniotis, S. (2017). Leadership requirements for Lean versus servant leadership in health care: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of healthcare leadership, 9, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S120166
Murcia, S. E., & Lopez, L. (2016). The experience of nurses in care for culturally diverse families: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 24, e2718. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.1052.2718
Sfantou, D. F., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A. E., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou, E. (2017). Importance of Leadership Style towards Quality of Care Measures in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 5 (4), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5040073
Savel, R. H., & Munro, C.L. (2017). Servant Leadership: The Primacy of Service. Am J Crit Care, 26 (2): 97–99. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2017356
