Question

In this assignment, you will be writing a 1,000-1,250-word essay describing the differing approaches of nursing leaders and managers to issues in practice. To complete this assignment, do the following:

Select an issue from the following list: nursing shortage and nurse turn-over, nurse staffing ratios, unit closures and restructuring, use of contract employees (i.e., registry and travel nurses), continuous quality improvement and patient satisfaction, and magnet designation.

Compare and contrast how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings.

Identify the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing and explain why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style.

Identify a possible funding source that addresses your issue. Consider looking at federal, state, and local organizations. For example: There are many grants available through the CDC, HRSA

Answer 1

They chose issue, 'nursing lack and medical caretaker turnover' ought to be drawn nearer in following way:

            The first thing first, this problem would continue till the time leaders won’t step themselves in the shoes of nurses. The point is that, to solve any issues of nursing shortage, leaders must see the problem from the eyes of nurses (Gould, 2011/). It implies that the pioneers and supervisors must attempt to distinguish the fundamental explanations behind nursing lack. The superfluous analysis would not work at this stage. The leaders and managers should perform the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) of the problem. The nursing leaders should at least try to get the answer of following questions:

What do medical attendants need from their calling? How do medical attendants need their professions to advance?

Why do nurses leave the profession? Is it the pressure of work or anything else?

The issues ought to be drawn closer in a more logical manner. For example the aim of the managers and leaders should be to match the expectations of nurses. Inspiration and responsibility is two greatest things that can have an effect on the life of medical attendants. Many experts have believed that nurses would continue to work unless they are motivated. The leaders must work to find out the way by which nurses would remain satisfied. One of the reasons that nurses are in shortage is because people do not give due respect and consideration to nurses. It is the nurses that have to work day and night to ensure the safe recovery of patients. Sometimes nurses have to compromise on their personal life just to make sure that the health of patients remains good. It is correct that nurses are not treated in the way they should be treated. The expectations are clear; nurses should be treated in better way in society.

            I believe that the managers and leaders should adopt more holistic approach to manage the nurses. The nurses should not be treated as resources that can provide the services. In fact nurses should be treated as an integral part of entire health care system. Instead of taking a top down approach of management, the leaders should take a bottom’s up approach in which they would start from the level of nurses (Waterman, 2011). This would help in analyzing the problem of nurses.

Conclusion and Recommendations

            My personal and professional philosophy of nurses is clear. The approach that fits my personal and professional philosophy is the bottoms up approach. Under this approach the first point of discussion for any strategy should be the nurses. The time has come when nurses should be asked for their expectations before making any strategy. I believe that a good leader is one who would develop the nursing strategy after due consideration with nurses.

            The nurses would not in shortage, if nurses are consulted before making any policies changes. I believe that the democratic leadership style is the best leadership style that would work to reduce the problem of nursing shortage. One of the solutions is to provide good compensation to nurses.

            When I compare, I found out that existing managers and leaders would start from the top down approach, the leaders would have a vision in the mind and this vision would start from the vision of the clinic or hospital. On the other hand my vision of nurses would start from nurses in mind. I would see the expectations of nurses and I would analyze that where does nurses want to go in their professional career.

            When I compare the approach of nursing leaders and managers, I found out that nursing managers lack the vision for their employees and nurses. Most of the times, nurses are considered as the helping hands to the hospitals. This approach should also be changed. Nursing shortage is one of the alarming issues. Imagine the state of the society when people are sick but nurses are not available due to shortage. To overcome this issue and to mitigate the risks of nursing shortage, leaders must act pro-actively.

            When I compare the approaches of nursing leaders, I also find that most of the nursing leaders would act in reactive manner. They would take some steps only when they are approached by nurses about their problem. A good leader is one who can sense the problem of nurses on its own. A good leader is one who can propose the solutions to the problem of nurses. A good leader is one who can own the problem of nurses. One of the theories suggests that a leader is effective, only when it listens to all. On the same line I believe that a good leader is one that takes every one into consideration before making any decision.