Analysis of the Topic
The project will begin with a pilot survey of the challenges that the aging population is facing in three centers of care for the aged. As noted, the choice of this population is informed by the fact that the geriatric population is increasing, and they demand more attention from care providers. Care provision is centered on the nurses, but the families and kin of these aging persons also play a role in defining the health outcomes of these patients. Within these centers of care provision, advanced practice nurse leaders are present, and they manage the daily operations of these facilities (DiCenso et al., 2010). They perform different roles, including communication, conflict resolution, mentoring, and change management in these facilities. Their activities directly impact integrated behavioral care, the partnership in care provision that is patient-centered and involves the nursing professional and family caregivers.
Detailed Analysis of the Topic of Study
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) have a great role to play in addressing the leadership needs in the nursing fraternity. Kouzes and Possner (2017) states that leaders at any capacity must bring change, act like leaders, define the objectives of the project, and involve other people in their project. More so, effective leadership in nursing is needed as the overall health and life expectancy of the modern American keeps improving, making more people live longer, and thus demand advanced geriatric care. The National Care for Health Statistics and CDC confirmed that the average life expectancy of the modern American is about 79 years (Coladonato & Manning, 2017). With this aging population, long-term care is needed that focuses on the physical as well as the mental health of these persons. To effectively manage the needs of these care-demanding groups, leadership trends must be upgraded to match the attention demanded (Lamb et al., 2018). This project is founded on the need for APNs to integrate their leadership abilities in behavioral care and ensure proper care for those in need of behavioral health care (BHC). This project will focus on geriatric care and the nurse practitioner’s role in integrated behavioral care for this group.
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Domains of APN leadership as they relate to aspects of this project
The domains of APN leadership include clinical practice; the nursing profession, healthcare systems, healthcare policy. This project seeks to determine how the leadership capabilities of nurse leaders affect integrated behavioral care. The basic function that first is analyzed is the quality of care provided by the caregivers in the care facilities. This will constitute the clinical practice element within the domain of study. The second aspect of the study will be the analysis of job satisfaction of the nurses under the leaders being studied. This will constitute the nursing profession domain. The overall topic is anchored on the healthcare system, and the findings, if conclusive will inform action and healthcare policy. This study will therefore impact all the four domains related to APN leadership.
Design of the Project and How it will be evaluated
This project will be designed as a qualitative study focused on evaluating leadership practices within the healthcare system. As a qualitative study, the project will be guided by the ethics of research, the principles of conducting a scientific study, and all the health regulations that should be met when conducting a qualitative study within care facilities.
The project will be evaluated by analyzing the findings from the interviews. All interviews will be recorded and transcripts prepared for that effect. Data analysis will be done concerning the qualitative nature of the data. No unfamiliar technical data evaluation methods will be used.
Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of APNs in integrated behavioral care. The project will analyze the impact that APN leadership has on clinical practice, the healthcare system, and the nursing profession, as well as how their inputs can be used to inform policy formulation for the improvement of the provision of integrated behavioral care to geriatric patients.
Resources needed for Project
The resources needed for the project are as follows:
Structured study questionnaires
Two interviewers, one data analyst, and one project manager.
The financial resource to facilitate transportation, lunch, and stationery.
Audio and video recording devices.
Personal protective equipment that will be used when necessary
Enough time for preparation and conducting the actual project.
Importance of the Study
This project is important to me for the following reasons:
First, the national survey by the US Census Bureau 2019 noted that more patients aged 65 and above need long-term care. They projected that by 2060, about 23% of the American population will be aged 65 and above (Hughes, 2019). On the other hand, the number of nurses will not have risen to match these demands. As a fact, currently, there is a shortage of nurses, and more so, qualified nurse leaders (Vitale, 2018). Nurse leaders impact not only their teams, but also departments of their involvement, and by extension, the institutions at the local, state, and national levels. This study will therefore evaluate the effective leadership qualities for APNs that can be leveraged to inform the training of nurses who will attend to this great geriatric population by 2060 (Hughes, 2019).
Secondly, this project will enrich my research capabilities and prepare me for future endeavors in research as well as enrich my understanding of leadership in nursing practice and its relevance in integrated behavioral care. The major elements that this study will address are mental and physical health and the response of the care providers to these challenges. This study will allow me to engage first-hand with a project, conduct original studies, and present my findings as a professional. The study is therefore important as a guide and preparation for my future studies within and outside the field of nursing.
Project Timeline
The project timeline is four weeks. The pilot study and analysis of the data from the pilot, alongside recommendations for improvement in the study, will take one week. Two weeks will be dedicated to data collection. The fourth week will be for examination of the findings and data analysis. The resources available will be allocated according to the demands of the study.
Team Members, Participants, and Challenges Anticipated
The team members of this project will be my peers and fellow coursemates. The participants in this study will be the caregivers in the care facilities, the families who frequent the care facilities to care for their loved ones, and the nurse leaders in these institutions. The caregivers and the family members will be interviewed as key informants in understanding the leadership tactics of the APN leaders in the selected facility. The APN leaders will be engaged in in-depth discussions to understand their challenges, strengths, weakness, and opportunities for improvement.
The challenges anticipated in this project are the limited resources. This project will not be funded by any stakeholder, and thus, the available resources will be squeezed to meet the needs of the project without fatigue. All interviews will be done by voluntary participants without compensation. Another challenge is the small number of participants that this study can accommodate. As a four-week unfunded study, the number of participants will be limited by the time and resources available. The limited number of participants will increase my error margin, but this limitation will be acknowledged, and the findings will be used as a blueprint to invite further studies and analyses that will either support or challenge my findings.
Brief Literature Review
The leadership capabilities of APNs cover the scope of patient-focused and organizational-focused leadership. Lamb et al. (2018) note that APN leadership roles are fundamental in improving the care environment of the patients that they impact and their families. Their leadership also affects the behavioral responses of nurses and other care providers and the organizational level. These findings emphasize the importance of strong leadership among APN, which explores all fundamental elements of leadership, but shows strength towards emotional intelligence. The impact of emotional intelligence on nursing leadership is showcased in their ability to inspire positivity among care providers and in encouraging care by family members of those who need care.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to empathize and become aware of the interpersonal dynamics that affect those within one’s environment. Coladonato & Manning (2017) note that emotional intelligence (EI) in nursing leadership positively impacts employee behavior and consequentially, their job satisfaction. The major strength of EI is that it allows the creation of earnest interpersonal relationships that are not rigidly governed by bureaucratic norms, but that that dwell on humane reaction, and the acknowledgment of strengths and weaknesses. EI enhances communication and finding of solutions, enhances conflict resolution, mentoring, and change management.
The findings by Lamb et al. (2018) and Coladonato & Manning (2017) emphasize two strengths that will be useful in this project: the examination of the EI level of APN leaders by interviewing their team members, and examination of the impact that different leaders have had on changing the nature of the relationship between the patients and their care providers and the patients and their families. These factors are tethered to the objectives of this study.
Anticipated Findings from This Project and Its Effect on Practice / Policy
The anticipated findings are: There is a positive correlation between better patient care and higher integration of behavioral care between the caregivers and the patients if the leadership is oriented towards emotional intelligence, with strong communication skills, and proper leadership qualities.
The Future After the Project
My burning issue is in knowing if APN leaders should have a defined leadership approach, for example, transformational, laissez-faire, or autocratic leadership to achieve their successes. After I complete the project, I will invite criticism and explore other studies within the topic. I am looking to moving the project from one unit of the healthcare facility to the entire organization of healthcare for geriatrics.
References
Coladonato, A. R., & Manning, M. L. (2017). Nurse leader emotional intelligence: How does it affect clinical nurse job satisfaction?. Nursing management , 48 (9), 26-32.
DiCenso, A. , Martin‐Misener, R. , Bryant‐Lukosius, D. , Bourgeault, I. , Kilpatrick, K. , Donald, F. , … Charbonneau‐Smith, R. (2010). Advanced practice nursing in Canada: Overview of a decision support synthesis . Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership , 23 , 15–34.
Hughes, V. (2019). Nurse leader impact: A review. Nursing management , 50 (4), 42-49.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge workbook . John Wiley & Sons.
Lamb, A., Martin-Misener, R., Bryant-Lukosius, D., & Latimer, M. (2018). Describing the leadership capabilities of advanced practice nurses using a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing open , 5 (3), 400–413. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.150
Vitale, T. R. (2018). Nurse leader mentorship. Nursing management , 49 (2), 8-10.
