Networking with purpose
- Electronic databases of medical knowledge;
- Information increases the quality of care;
- Allows nurses and patients to communicate;
- Create better interaction between nurses (Khanum et al., 2016);
- Enables collaboration between health professionals.
Note: There are various medical knowledge bases, including “PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct and ACM Digital Library were searched for studies published” (Khanum et al., 2016, p. 1). Access to information enables a higher quality of care through improved communication between nurses, patients, and healthcare professionals. The nurse can exercise leadership by setting goals for the development of professional skills through the use of networking opportunities.
Finding a mentor
- Benefits of shared nursing expertise (Dev, 2021);
- Newer nurses can grow professionally;
- Experienced nurses can acquire new knowledge;
- Help build professional confidence;
- Develop collaboration and communication skills.
Note: Finding a mentor helps nurses take advantage of shared expertise to acquire better professional skills. A mentor can both help new nurses adapt and acquire the necessary knowledge and accelerate the professional growth of already experienced ones (Dev, 2021). Moreover, communication with a mentor allows nurses to become more confident in their skills and also communicate more effectively.
Communication with coworkers
- Nurses communicate with colleagues every day;
- Communication facilitates the exchange of experience;
- Helping colleagues in solving problems;
- Getting help from more experienced colleagues;
- Increasing confidence from a comfortable atmosphere.
Note: Daily communication with colleagues helps in the development of leadership skills by providing opportunities for the exchange of experience and knowledge. Additionally, nurses can help each other solve problems, which positively influences decision-making and critical thinking. Moreover, effective communication improves not only the quality of care but also the level of comfort in the team.
Resolving conflicts
- Conflicts are integral to organizations;
- Several factors result in conflicts (Labrague, Al Hamdan & McEnroe-Petitte, 2018);
- Proper resolving can have a positive impact;
- Poor managing leads to decreased performance;
- Managing conflicts develops leadership skills;
Note: Conflicts often arise in the work of nurses, as they must collaborate with medical staff, nurses, patients, and their families. Conflict can arise for several reasons, including unclear professional boundaries, limited decision-making, role expectations, and others (Labrague et al., 2018). Correct conflict resolution has a positive effect on overall performance, while a poor one can result in a decrease in motivation and quality of care. Solving conflict situations is significant for the development of leadership qualities as it allows nurses to demonstrate communication and decision-making skills.
Defending a patient
- Increasing quality of communication with patients;
- Promoting patient’s interests for better care;
- Considering patient and family needs;
- Proposing organizational changes for better care;
- Making decisions for better patient outcomes.
Note: Nursing activity focuses on communication with patients and families. Thus, they need to make decisions on a daily basis to provide the best quality care. Protecting the interests of patients, and considering their needs can help nurses make the best decisions, as well as propose possible changes in the organization, which develops leadership skills.
Peer mentorship of newly graduated nurses
- Increases coaching, leadership, and facilitation skills (Anderson & Watkins, 2018);
- Help build confidence as a professional;
- Developing collaboration and cooperation skills;
- Provides opportunities for critical thinking;
- Exercising decision-making skills.
Note: Peer mentorship is the most effective way to develop daily nursing leadership skills. The goal is “helping, challenging, guiding, and supporting an individual (mentee) to grow and learn personally and professionally” (Anderson & Watkins, 2018, p. 217-218). In the process of coaching, the mentor needs to not only communicate effectively with the mentee but also help him or her in solving daily professional tasks. This fact helps to build confidence in their nursing skills and to exercise critical thinking and decision-making skills on a daily basis.
Delegating tasks
- Help coordinate the nursing team’s activities;
- Assessment and planning of the right tasks (Barrow & Sharma, 2020);
- Appropriate supervision for delegated tasks (Barrow & Sharma, 2020);
- Forming of right directions and communication;
- Evaluating legal policies and procedures.
Note: First of all, the nurse needs to assess what task is needed depending on the situation and plan it. Further, it is crucial to supervise the correct execution of tasks (Barrow & Sharma, 2020). Moreover, it is also important to choose the right form of effective communication and take into account legal procedures (Barrow & Sharma, 2020). Thus, delegation helps in the development of leadership skills as it is one of its components.
Motivating others
- Motivation affects the team performance;
- A leader needs to be self-motivating;
- Learning is intrinsic motivation (Kristen, 2017);
- Setting personal and team goals;
- Integrating staff into goal setting.
Note: Teamwork implies a motivation to improve the productivity of nurses. Self-motivation on a daily basis through learning and goal setting can help nurses demonstrate leadership in a team (Kristen, 2017). Including team members in goal setting process also help develop leadership skills through communication.
Helping a coworker with drug abuse
- May reduce performance and care quality;
- Helping recognize substance abuse (Paton, 2020);
- Collect knowledge of symptoms and signs;
- Collect knowledge in possible assistance;
- Not avoiding being involved in problem.
Note: Nursing is stressful and can lead to drug abuse. These situations can help the nurse demonstrate leadership by identifying the problem and gathering information about possible help. Nurses should also not avoid this problem as it hinders team productivity (Paton, 2020). Thus, paying attention to colleagues, and gathering knowledge about ways to solve, as well as responsibility results in the development of leadership skills.
Preparing a family gathering
- Implies development of effective communication skills;
- Requires decision-making skills;
- Increases patient-nurses relationships;
- Considering patient and family needs;
- Allows more autonomy for patients (Molina-Mula, 2020).
Note: Organizing family gatherings requires nurses’ communication and decision-making skills to develop their leadership. Moreover, such activity increases the level of collaboration between patients and nurses, as well as provides greater autonomy for patients, ensuring better patient outcomes (Molina-Mula, 2020).
References
Anderson, T., & Watkins, K. (2018). The value of peer mentorship as an educational strategy in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(4), 217-224. Web.
Barrow, J. M., & Sharma, S. (2020). Five rights of nursing delegation. StatPearls Publishing.
Dev, A. (2021). Why you should have – or be – a nurse mentor. Medely. Web.
Khanum, S., de Lourdes de Souza, M., Naz, N., Marcon Dal Sasso, G. T., BrĂĽggemann, O. M., & Schulter Buss Heideman, I. T. (2016). The use of networking in nursing practice: An integrative review. Societies, 6(3), 1-14. Web.
Kristen, D. (2017). The motivation to stay motivated. Nursing Management, 48(12), 56. Web.
Labrague, L. J., Al Hamdan, Z., & McEnroe-Petitte, D. M. (2018). An integrative review on conflict management styles among nursing professionals: implications for nursing management. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(3), 902-916. Web.
Molina-Mula, J., & Gallo-Estrada, J. (2020). Impact of nurse-patient relationship on quality of care and patient autonomy in decision-making. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 1-24. Web.
Paton, F. (2020). Substance abuse in nursing: What are the signs and what to do about it? NursesLabs. Web.