Mental Health Nursing leadership is an essential leadership position within the nursing community. MHN leaders exist in a dynamic environment which is described by constant changes and shifts in roles and expectations. An assessment of existing leadership roles, styles and position of MHN leaders in healthcare organizations is essential. This paper conducts an evaluation of the different leadership styles that can be used by MHN leaders. There is also an analysis on the importance of effective communication and how communication skills can be applied to improve interactions between the management and staff.
Mental Health Nursing Leadership
Due to mental health care's de-institutionalization and the increased preference for community care, leadership in mental health nursing is key (Holm et al., 2010). Leadership is described as the procedure of making sense of what individuals are doing together so that followers will have proper understanding and commitment. Leadership involves the persuasion of other individuals for the pursuit of a common objective, which is essential concerning the operations of the organizations. The mental health nurse (MHN) leader may be faced with considerable difficulties due to this leadership position's dynamic environment. Based on this dynamic environment, there exists a need for a clear definition of roles and responsibilities that a mental health nurse is expected to complete. The aim of this paper is focused on highlighting the responsibilities and position of the MHN leader.
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Leadership Styles and Areas for Development
While directing, organizing, and controlling a range of nursing activities, MHN leaders have several leadership styles to choose from. Laissez-faire leadership has a negative impact on the hospital environment, with patients reporting lower levels of satisfaction and a decreased quality of life. Laissez-fair leadership, which is also referred to as delegate leadership, is a form of leadership in which leaders are hands-off and enable nursing staff to make the decisions (Holm et al., 2010). This form of leadership results in lower productivity from the nursing staff. In leaders who use autocratic leadership, patients report even lower rates of satisfaction in the medical environment. In this leadership style, leaders make decisions without obtaining input from their followers. With this style, the MHN leader does not consider or consult their nursing staff before enforcing new changes. Transformational leadership results in high rates of satisfaction in patients. Patients have improved care when the nursing staff have a perception of their leaders as being charismatic and inspirational. This form of leadership is highly recommended for health organizations as it encourages growth and motivates employees to engage in higher performance. The American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) has regular nursing fellowships which train nursing leaders on the best leadership traits to take on.
The leadership style that an MHN leader chooses has considerable implications for the rest of the nursing staff and the patients involved. It affects the existence of platforms for collaboration between the nursing employees and the management. Increased collaborations between the staff and nursing management results in better health outcomes for the patients and greater patient satisfaction. On the other hand, decreased collaborations between the staff and nursing management results in adverse health outcomes for the patients and a lower degree of patient satisfaction (Powell et al., 2015). Good quality MHN nurse leadership is focused on patient-focused aspects of work. Most nursing leaders contribute a considerable amount of their time to administrative roles, such as scheduling the nursing staff and monitoring supply contracts. This indicates the need for an exploration of a variety of tasks that exist in leadership for the proper clarification of role expectations and areas of development. Based on these role expectations, the transformational leadership style is the best leadership style that suits the nursing staff.
The Employment of Communication Skills
Effective communication is necessary for the formation of proper relations between nursing leaders and patients. It is essential for the proper dissemination of information and supporting proper decision-making with the consideration of others' opinions. When proper communication skills and abilities are employed, then the nursing leadership employed is seen as being appropriate. Some of the roles of an MHN included seeking and accepting challenging opportunities for organizational improvement and others' engagement to work towards a common objective (Cleary et al., 2011). These leaders are also expected to foster collaboration and empowerment and support staff behaviour that is consistent with the identified organizational goals.
There are five themes that nurses have to explore when employing proper communication skills. These themes include general factors, clinical processes, the development of research and new services, and the training of the involved staff (Powell et al., 2015). The benefits and advantages of implementing communication skills for the enhancement of patient care are considerable. While engaging in proper communication activities, nursing leaders are also expected to use proper listening skills. MHN leaders should ensure that they use active listening skills and receptive body language when interacting with patients and nurses. When these skills are utilized, the hospital will experience increased reports of feeling safe and higher satisfaction of patients.
Conclusion
Mental health nurse leaders are not only responsible for ensuring the safety and quality care of their patients; they are also needed to adequately control and direct their nursing staff. In their leadership, MHN leaders have to ensure that they utilize appropriate leadership styles with their staff. Based on an evaluation, the transformative leadership style is identified as the best style for nursing staff within a hospital environment. This leadership is crucial for nurses' motivation to engage in the provision of high-quality care and meet organizational objectives. Effective communication skills are also essential for the proper dissemination of information and facilitate proper interaction between the nursing leadership and the nursing staff. The AONL presents several resources that MHN leaders can take advantage of to improve the efficiency of their role. Hence, proper MHN leadership is identified as crucial to ensure the motivation of nursing staff and the satisfaction of patients.
References
Cleary, M., Horsfall, J., Deacon, M., & Jackson, D. (2011). Leadership and mental health nursing. Issues in Mental Health Nursing , 32 (10), 632-639.
Holm, A. L., & Severinsson, E. (2010). The role of the mental health nursing leadership. Journal of Nursing Management , 18 (4), 463-471.
Powell, K. R., Mabry, J. L., & Mixer, S. J. (2015). Emotional intelligence: A critical evaluation of the literature with implications for mental health nursing leadership. Issues in mental health nursing , 36 (5), 346-356.
