The healthcare ecosystem has become complex and dynamic as its demands keep expanding and evolving. The evolving healthcare system demands effective leadership to avert chaos, ensure patient safety, and ensure the delivery of quality care. Reconfiguring of the healthcare system requires the development of leadership competencies at all levels. Beginning nurses and other point-of-care nurses influence patient experience, quality of care, patient safety, and operational efficiency (Joseph & Huber, 2015). Therefore, impacting novice nurses with robust leadership skills improves individual care practices; hence, an improvement in point-of-care services and organizational processes efficiency. The combination of evidence-based practices and leadership skills by beginning nurses can aid in eliminating some challenges ailing the healthcare system.
The healthcare sector anticipates an inadequacy of nurse manager by approximately 67,000 by the year 2020 (Dyess, Sherman, Pratt & Chiang-Hanisko, 2016). The scarcity will be attributed to a mass retirement of the baby-boomer nurse. Such inadequacies would have a catastrophic impact on the quality of care and patient safety. Strategic planning is, therefore, imperative to prepare future nurse leaders. Beginning nurses can acquire leadership skills through leadership-oriented education and mentoring. Traditionally, nurse leaders were found in boardrooms and were involved in policy development and implementation. In the years preceding the 1990’s, nursing leadership was all about influencing nursing practice and policy(Scully, 2015). The current view of leadership focuses on advancing the nursing profession and realizing improved patient outcomes. The evolving healthcare ecosystem demands a shift of leadership from the boardroom level to the bedside level. The critical knowledge that beginning nurses and other front-line nurses possess positions them uniquely for healthcare policymaking.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Developing leadership skills in novice nurses is significant because they are the future of the nursing profession. Nurse leaders are knowledgeable in broad contemporary nursing issues; hence, they are integral in advancing the practice. Nurse leaders must proactively engage in inspiring, mentoring, and providing a vision for future and novice nurses. Leadership competency among beginning nurses is critical in driving staff morale, enhancing patient satisfaction and safety, improving operational efficiency, and curbing costs. Novice nurses can exhibit leadership creating new practice models, collaboration, improving work efficiency and processes, applying evidence-based practices, and engaging policy-making especially policies affecting patients (Scully, 2015).
Nursing leadership comes with a multitude of responsibilities at all levels. The most important leadership role is to proactively engage in practices that contribute to the improvement of patient care. Nurses ought to exhibit patient-centeredness and use evidence-based practices to achieve positive outcomes and patient satisfaction. Nurse leader must engage in activities to expand their skills and experiences to ensure the provision of quality care. Additionally, nurse leaders must collaborate with patients and multidisciplinary teams improve patient care (Joseph & Huber, 2015). Collaboration can be achieved through timely communication. Communication, collaboration, and teamwork foster a positive work environment minimizing turnover.
It is paramount that beginning nurses develop leadership skills as it drives innovation in nursing practice and enhances patient care. General leadership skills can be utilized at point-of-care not just at the managerial level. Leadership skills boost the confidence and morale of beginning nurses hence minimizing incidents of turnover. For example, leadership gives nurses the confidence to make timely decisions regarding patient care. When middle and top-tier leaders show trust in personnel,staff morale improves and nurses take measures toward enhancing their skills and experience in preparation for expanding roles.
In conclusion, beginning nurses ought to possess general leadership skills that can aid in their service delivery. The ever-evolving healthcare sector demands leadership at all levels bedside and boardroom. Leadership competency for novice nurses is critical in preparation for their future as nurse leaders. Leadership experience across various nursing ranks allows nurses to amass a multitude of leadership experiences that position them uniquely for future leadership. Beginning nurses can develop leadership skills through education and mentorship. The nurses must comprehend that leadership ought to be enshrined in all their actions rather than viewing it a special thing. Leadership must be used to achieve safety, improve efficiency, increase morale, advance nursing practice.
References
Dyess, S. M., Sherman, R. O., Pratt, B. A., & Chiang-Hanisko, L. (2016). Growing nurse leaders: Their perspective on nursing leadership and today’s practice environment. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 21(1).
Joseph, M. L. & Huber, D. L. (2015). Clinical leadership development and education for nurses: Prospects and opportunities. Journal of Healthcare leadership, 7, 55-64.
Scully, N. J. (2015). Leadership in nursing: The importance of recognizing inherent values and attributes to secure a positive future for the profession. The Australian Journal of Nursing Practice, Scholarship & Research , 22(4), 439-444.
