Question

Examine roles and competencies of advanced practice nurses essential to performing as leaders and advocates of holistic, safe, and quality care. (PO 5) 1, 3, 5, 7, 8

Apply concepts of person-centered care to nursing practice situations. (PO1, PO2) 3, 7, 8

Analyze essential skills needed to lead within the context of complex systems. (PO2, PO3) 1, 5, 7, 8

Explore the process of scholarship engagement to improve health and healthcare outcomes in various settings. (PO3, PO4) 8

Thinking back over this course, what were the three most important or most interesting things you learned? How do you envision using the information you learned in your future nursing practice? What steps will you take to ensure your success in the master's program?

Answer 1

Ans.

Hamric's Model of Advanced Nursing Practice identifies several core competencies: direct clinical practice, expert coaching and advice, consultation, research skills, clinical and professional leadership, collaboration, and ethical decision-making.

APRNs are nurses who have met advanced educational and clinical practice requirements, and often provide services in community-based settings. APRNs' services range from primary and preventive care to mental health to birthing to anesthesia.

Today’s advanced-practice nurses (APNs) perform tasks once reserved for medical doctors. They assist other medical professionals and manage patient care, and many specialize in fields such as pediatrics, oncology, and family medicine.

There are many opportunities in advanced practice nursing with the current nursing shortage and demand for qualified health professionals. APNs not only make a good living and work in a time of nursing opportunity, they also enjoy the daily reward of helping patients recovering from illness and procedures.

Specialties and APN Degrees

And how do you become an advanced practice nurse? A nurse with a master’s degree is called an advanced practice nurse (APN), and they come in four varieties:

Nurse Practitioner (NP) – Nurse practitioner’s provide basic care focused on a specific population or health need, with the ability to write prescriptions. Family nurse practitioners are an example of this.

Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) – Certified nurse anesthetist’s administer anesthesia for all types of surgery.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) – Clinical nurse specialists provide specialist care in a number of areas: cardiology, oncology, neonatology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, neurology, and mental health.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) – Nurse-midwives provide prenatal care, delivers babies, and provide postpartum care to normal healthy women.

Advanced practice nursing is thriving in today’s health care industry with the nursing shortage. APNs deliver services that were previously delivered by physicians. Nurse Practice Acts vary widely among states, and they define just what advanced practice nurses can do.

5 Ways to Improve Nurse Leadership Skills

Whether you want to enhance your nurse leadership skills to transition into nurse management or just to become a better leader, there are many ways to improve leadership skills for nurses.  

Help reach the pinnacle of your profession with these five ways to improve your nurse leadership skills.

1. Pursue lifelong learning

Shantay Carter, founder of Women of Integrity says taking leadership classes and personal development classes are two great ways to improve your nurse leadership skills.  

Pursuing additional education and training is a common suggestion for nurses trying to improve their leadership skills and can be accomplished in several ways.

• Good leaders keep current on research and technological developments to understand the impacts they have on the nursing field and gain knowledge on how to integrate improved techniques and equipment into their current practices and pass this knowledge on to others.
• Graduate level training improves your competencies, which provides additional assurances to patients and peers that you’ve acquired the specialized training required to provide safe, quality care and take on leadership roles.
• Explore opportunities that allow you to attend continuing education workshops, seminars and conferences, where you can expand your knowledge and network with other nurse leaders.

2. Mentoring goes both ways

Mentorship is beneficial in developing leadership skills for nurses and works both ways — finding a mentor and being a mentor. Carter agrees, saying that you should become a mentor and a preceptor.  

Do this by seeking out individuals whose nurse leadership skills you admire and shadow them to learn how they engage with and motivate patients and peers.  

Then, transfer what you’ve learned by mentoring inexperienced nurses, which helps new nurses succeed and allows you to practice your new and existing leadership skills.

Train others to be better than you, so that one day they may follow in your footsteps,” says Amanda Davis, a full-time RN in a busy trauma emergency department, student in nurse practitioner school and travel blogger on Travelaffari.

3. Confidence is a vital nurse leadership skill

Good nurse leadership skills should include a healthy dose of confidence in yourself and in others on your team. This requires developing self-awareness and building trust and confidence between team members. Examine everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, including your own, and seek learning opportunities to improve both.

Effective leaders also learn how to keep their emotions in check by understanding how these emotions might affect others. While certain emotions inspire others to meet goals, the wrong emotions can undermine confidence in your leadership skills.  

Always attempt to set a positive tone and position everyone for success in their endeavors. “Be your best coach and advocate for your team,” emphasizes Davis.

4. Enhance communication skills

“Communicate your needs, and you will always accomplish more,” encourages Davis. Being an effective leader hinges on developing outstanding written and spoken communication skills, which are some of the most essential traits for nurse leaders to possess. Improve your nurse leadership skills by learning to actively listen to peers, patients and administration.  

Listening is the first key to communication, followed by delivering concise, accurate responses. When you work to develop your communication skills, you also improve your nurse leadership skills and effectively learn how to guide, motivate, influence and persuade others to exceed your goals.

5. Get involved

“A good leader knows when to lead and when to follow,” advises Carter. Follow like-minded individuals and expand your personal knowledge by joining professional organizations.  

Active memberships provide numerous opportunities for leadership development. This includes volunteering to serve on committees within these organizations to provide you with different experiences in a leadership role.

You'll also have plenty of opportunities for networking, which allows you to meet and build relationships with various individuals — some of whom may be great leaders looking for enthusiastic followers to help pursue their own set of goals.  

Attending state and national nursing conferences also lets you meet and learn from nurse leaders in action. Most will happily share their knowledge with any nurse wanting to learn how to be a more effective leader.

Fostering nurse leadership skills takes time and effort, but you’ll find the rewards are well worth it because patients, peers, superiors and the general public hold nurse leaders in high regard.  

“Set goals and reach them, be friendly, smile and lead by example; others will follow,” concludes Davis.