Sample Answer for NR 506 Week 3 Discussion: Included After Question
NR 506 Week 3 Discussion:
NR 506 Week 3 Discussion:
Describe the various elements necessary for effective leadership within a coalition. How does this apply to your professional practice or life?
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NR 506 Week 3 Discussion:
Title: NR 506 Week 3 Discussion:
There are many necessary elements for effective leadership within a coalition. To be effective, coalitions require multiple things from leadership including effective communication, conflict resolution, perception of fairness and shared decision –making (SAMHSA, 2017). Shared leadership is also an important element. Leaders within the group need to have a defined role and also needs a group of people that are actively participating. Shared leadership is a way for the coalition to tackle the most challenging tasks as a group. It is the job of the leaders to create a positive work environment for each employee as well, which can be a difficult thing to do.
Knowledge development and skill building are other necessary elements for any leader as well. The nursing profession is constantly changing and as younger nurses come in, the leaders need to continue to develop knowledge not only about the nursing practices, but also about the management side of things. Skill building is an element that needs to occur in order for the team to work effectively and efficiently (MacDonald & Shriberg, 2016).
Effective leadership affects many areas of both my personal and professional life. Managers in our facility are required to go to a leadership development seminar 4 times every year. This keeps the leaders up to date on not only the new practices in the nursing profession, but also new leadership strategies. Our department has had some difficulty in the past taking accountability for their actions, which our leader was in tuned to and has worked with our department very closely in order to correct this.
For staff members, this is great in multiple ways. We trust our manager as a leader and know she has the ability to coach us to be better. We also see that she might not be working with us every single day, but can recognize when something is not working well in the department. Having effective leadership is so important in every coalition, especially in the nursing profession.
References:
MacDonald, L., Shriberg, M. (2016). Sustainability leadership programs in higher education: alumni outcomes and impacts. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 6(2), 360-370.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHAS), (2017). Components of an effective coalition. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/capt/tools-learning-resources/components-effective-coalition
Do you think the leadership skills required for a coalition are the same or similar to those required for a nursing manager in acute care?
I do think that a good majority of the leadership skills that are required for a coalition are the same that a nurse manager. No matter the field, leaders must possess the same skills to oversee a group. Just like in a coalition, a nurse manager on a unit must be able to oversee many task and people (Green, & Edmonson, 2013). The leader is the one who is the driving force for any goal; the manager needs to be able to direct people to achieve whatever the common goal is but still be able to listen to each side of the issue (Green, & Edmonson, 2013).
With any group, be it a coalition or a group of nurses on a unit, the leader has to be able to take charge; without someone leading, there will be chaos. Leaders make decisions that even if they are not agreed on by every person are the fairest and has the best possible outcome (Green, & Edmonson, 2013). Just like in a coalition, a nurse manager mediates between people from staff members, doctors, their fellow managers, and administration. I know as an Administrative RN 3 on my unit, I have helped my supervisor with these issues between employees. Managers need to be able to be impartial to both parties but be able to bring them back together to come to a resolution.
References
Green, A., & Edmonson, C. (2013). An Opportunity to Lead: State Coalitions. Nurse Leader, 1128,39-31,39. doi:10.1016/j.mnl.2012.11.00 
I think there are many similarities for any type of leadership role, clinical and non-clinical. Leadership skills as a nurse manager are similar to those of a coalition due to the fact that I believe leaders and managers are out implement change for the good of the patient and of the staff members. As a staff nurse, I look to my leader for new policies to be made when there is an issue, or information about new guidelines. Not only this, but staff nurses look to their leaders and their actions. Leadership is also about portraying the attitude that you want your staff nurses to have. If the leader is a “Debbie downer”, the staff members cannot be expected to be cheery all of the time.
Leadership in the acute care setting is similar to that of a coalition in many ways, because I believe it takes many minds and a lot of knowledge to influence change and that is what nurse managers and leaders are there to do.
In my opinion a nurse manger is a leader of a coalition. The unit operates as a coalition as several individuals are working toward goals with a common interest, such as patient care. Effective communication is essential for success in any organization. I have learned that effective communication involves clear and concise information, listening, and observing body language. Communication is required as it significantly impacts how we send and receive information. Leaders need to communicate strategies, instructions, and goals to all members of the team.
As a nurse manager in an acute care setting adequate communication helps the unit and organization to be productive and operate effectively. I noticed as healthcare advances nurse managers are utilizing a working knowledge of technology to collaborate and interact with other organizations and individuals. Technologies are becoming common not only in healthcare but in all aspect of life. It is an effective tool used to delivery information to a large group of people. After reviewing this week lesson, I now see the position of a nurse manager and the responsibilities of a coalition leader as one in the same.
I believe that the leadership skills between a coalition and a nursing manager in an acute care setting have no difference between the two. Both demand a leader that will help mold his or her team into a cohesive unit. This is only done when the leader has those necessary skills to do so. “Effective leaders inspire loyalty and goodwill in others because they themselves act with integrity and trust.” (Ulrich, 2018) In, this website article Ulrich goes on to say that there are 5 rules to leadership: the ability to shape the future, make things happen, engage today’s talent, build the next generation and lastly investing in oneself.
A good leader can see what everyone’s personality and characteristics is like within the unit or coalition to now move the members toward a specific goal together. A leader builds everyone including his or herself up. A leader happily hears the opinions of those around him before taking matters into their hands. A leader delegates tasks that each member of the team or coalition can handle and/or what can push both forward by stretching boundaries. If any individual can cultivate these rules and skills, then leadership isn’t too far from their grasp. They would just need to reach for the stars. Once he or she does then the rest is sure to follow.
Reference
Ulrich, D. (2018). What Is an Effective Leader? Retrieved from http://www.amanet.
org/training/articles/what-is-an-effective-leader.aspx
I think that leadership skills needed for a coalition would also be good skills for a nurse manager in acute care. Being on the nursing floor can be a tough job a lot of times. Leadership skills for a coalition like inspirational and organizational would be very important to keep you staff motivated, especially in times that are very busy or tough, but being able to show your staff how to manage time and ask for assistance and what is needed for the unit is important as well. In the article by Wendl & Cramer, 2018, they discuss good leadership skills of a coalition as having clear goals, making sure the path is clear to reach these goals, and being able to have an environment of being able to foster learning for those in the coalition.
These are all good leadership skills that should be being utilized by a nurse manager. There can be an overall goal for the unit, and then individual ones for employees that work to help meet the overall goal. When things are not clear or are always changing like in healthcare you need a strong leader to rely on, many times in nursing this does not happen causing a lot of problems within the unit. These same things can happened in a coalition causing it to dissolve. Leadership skills are transcendent with most top positions and what is needed.
Reference:
Wendl, M. J., & Cramer, M. E. (2018). Evaluating Effective Leadership and Governance in a Midwestern Agricultural Safety and Health Coalition. Workplace Health & Safety, 66(2), 84-94. Doi:101177/2165079917729172
To add on to your discussion with Steffany, I do think the leadership skills required for a coalition are similar to those required for a nurse manager. The leadership skills are beneficial for both roles and part of a manager’s role is to lead a coalition. The individual manager’s goals may differ, yet all have the same overlaying organizational structures. Nurse management in the UK (2011), notes that “effective leadership is needed if there is to be high quality care”. My manager uses leadership skills to ensure that the staff have similar goals and focuses. When all of the staff have established roles and expectations, the patients are in better care.
Reference:
Call to assess aspiring managers to ensure leadership skills. (2011). Nursing Management – UK, 18(8), 5.
I found the topic of leadership required for a coalition to be similar to skills required for a nursing manager in an acute care setting. I think the main difference is level of experience. Nurse managers typically have around three to five years of experience compared to leadership skills in a coalition which typically do not have specific requirements. Nurse managers in acute care settings need specific leadership skills that are focused on project management specific to the acute care unit.
This gives them a level of expertise above the average leader. I have a friend that manages an acute care unit. She was always under a lot of stress due to employee complaints and unit drama. He largest complaint was on the job texting and social media at work. She always says it is hard to find a good worker these days. Leadership skills required for acute care settings are: maintaining sufficient staffing, budgeting, and policy compliance issues (NurseManager, 2017).
NurseManager. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.graduatenursing.edu.orgLinks to an external site.
You have made some excellent points about what takes to become an effective leader. During my undergraduate nursing studies, all of my professors would say that “nurses have made a professional commitment to learning.” They would also say that “nurses in leadership positions should become experts in relationship-building and accountability.” Effective leadership in coalitions includes these three aspects, just as effective nurse leaders should hone and build on these skills to lead their teams and organizations to successful outcomes. In my area of nursing (LTC), I see that nursing competency does not always prepare a person to become a leader.
I have been employed at medical facilities in which the Director of Nursing is well-skilled in nursing techniques and procedures, but less than apt at supervising nursing staff. I have also been supervised by LTC charge nurses who did awesome jobs of assessing patients and making sure the appropriate care had been given, but who were intimidated by staff nurses. I stated in my post that leadership is a skill or ability that must be taught. You allude to skill building in your post, as well. A featured blog post on the Nurse.com site by Williamson (2017) says that there is a difference between a nurse manager and a nurse leader. I think the author’s explanation makes good sense. Do you believe there is a difference between the two, they complement each other, or they are one in the same?
Reference:
Williamson, E. (2017, May 23). Nurse manager vs. nurse leader: What’s the difference?. Retrieved from https://www.nurse.com/blog/2017/05/23/nurse-manager-vs-nurse-leader-whats-the-difference/