Introduction
Leadership is a major factor that determines the progress of any institution. Transformational leadership encourages the integration of determination, character, and passion in goal attainment. In the health care system, transformational leadership is a basic requirement, especially in modern societies where the system experiences various challenges. Nurse leaders and their staff need to engage in a form of leadership that facilitates progress and optimal patient experiences. It is imperative for nurses and practitioners in the healthcare sector to provide superb services to patients in need of healthcare. It is against this backdrop that the essay examines the role of nurse managers, nurse leaders, and the effect of transformational leadership on the management of healthcare.
Implications of Change in the Health Care Delivery System on Nurse Leadership
Over time, the healthcare system has witnessed several changes that have led to some implications for the delivery system. Barton, Bevan, and Mooney (2012) explain that the implications include increased patients in need of healthcare services, technological advancements, and the increasing cost of service delivery. While the implications affect the health care system, nurse leaders experience an equivalent effect from the implications presented by the changes. With the growing population, technological advancements, and the increasing cost of service delivery, nurse leaders are continually witnessing a rise in the number of challenges that affect the health sector. Moreover, since the number of patients in need of the healthcare services is rising in a spontaneous manner, the health care system often suffers from inadequate capacity.
Comparison and Contrasts of Characteristics, Roles, and Responsibilities of Nurse Leaders and Nurse Managers
Nurse leaders and nurse managers are very important in the healthcare sector. Wong (2015) states that nurse leaders guide nurses and other clinicians in delivering excellent care and treatment, whereas nurse managers undertake supervision and oversight activities. While nurse leaders help other members of staff such as nurses strive to achieve the objective of the organization, nurse managers mainly focus on decision-making and oversight activities. Furthermore, while nurse leaders guide nurses in performing roles such as nursing patients and advocating for their care, nurse managers emphasize on roles such as recruitment and retention of nurses. In essence, the roles and responsibilities of a nurse leader revolve around guidance and leadership offered to nurses as they endeavor to provide patients with the much-needed care. As opposed to nurse managers, who exercise decision-making roles and high level of control over nurses in a health care system, nurse leaders greatly rely on their ability to influence their colleagues in the sector.
Compare and Contrast Management and Leadership Qualities Including Ethical Considerations
Management and leadership qualities have various similarities and differences. The similar qualities that exist between management and leadership are the need for advanced knowledge in a respective field, coordination, and mentorship. In the exposition of Chaudhry and Javed (2012), managers and leaders usually are individuals, who have experience and skills in their respective fields, and thus, they can easily supervise others as they engage their subordinates. Managers and leaders also mentor employees on how to undertake their respective job. Furthermore, managers and leaders coordinate employees and guide them to perform certain tasks successfully. As such, it is evident that leadership and managerial qualities, which are similar, are knowledge, coordination, and mentorship.
On the other hand, management and leadership qualities differ in a number of ways. While managers focus on structures, results, and control, leaders emphasize on collective engagement, leadership, and inspiration of subordinates. According to Sadeghi and Pihie (2012), leaders have high ethical consideration and champion for individual advancement and patient safety. Conversely, the focus of the management, which is on the structures and not people, can at times limit their ethical considerations and concern for others in the organization.
Importance of Transformational Leadership Today and the Relationship to the Recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM)
Transformational leadership today is a basic element in the development and progress of a given organization, including the health care system. The elements of transformational leadership, which entail creativity, critical thinking, and wise decision-making, are core in advancing the quality of healthcare services delivered by nurses and other healthcare providers. In the health care system, nurse managers and nurse leaders can apply these elements in managing challenges experienced by the healthcare providers. Sadeghi and Pihie (2012) expound that managers and leaders, who employ transformational leadership can set realistic goals and inspire their colleagues to achieve them. Since the Institute of Medicine (IOM), advocates for improved access to medical care, it has a close relationship with the transformational leadership since the leadership style provides elements that facilitate improved service delivery.
List Five Errors and Strategies of Transformational Leadership
- Relevance of the scope Sometimes leaders employ strategies that are not in line with the scope or the goals set by the organization. The error makes the organization fail in goal achievement.
- Inadequate change capacity Inadequate change capacity is an error that occurs when leaders employ a strategy that the organization cannot support. A strategy that requires a lot of financial or staff commitment can strain the budget or the workforce of a given organization, and thus, exceed its capacity.
- Wrong diagnosis of scope Sometimes leaders think that they have the right solution for a given challenge, but in actual sense, they have a wrong solution. The wrong solution stems from a misdiagnosis, which presents incorrect results regarding a certain challenge.
- Poor communication Apparently, poor communication leads to an inconsistent flow of information from one department to another and from the management to the employees. The implication of poor communication is communication breakdown, inaccurate policies, and poor implementation of the transformational style of leadership.
- Absence of ethical considerations Emotions, feelings, and challenges that affect employees also affect the overall implementation of the leadership style. Fundamentally, when leaders downplay these feelings, employees feel that they are inferior. Feelings of inferiority lead to decreased performance, which is a factor that greatly lowers the effectiveness of the leadership style.
Two Competencies Needed to be an Effective Leader and how Each One is Relevant to Nursing
Two of the competencies needed to be an effective leader comprise mentorship and development. The two competencies are very relevant in nursing as Finkelman (2012) elaborates that while mentorship helps senior nurse leaders and managers advise less experienced nurses on healthcare matters, development is very important in the introduction of new and improved systems of healthcare to patients. As such, the two competencies are paramount in the field of nursing and nurse managers or leaders need to demonstrate these competencies in their activities. For improved healthcare, these competencies, which are mentorship and development, need to be in place, and nurses should apply them in their operations along with other leadership competencies provided by the transformational leadership style.
Content That Should Be Included In a Nurse Manager and Leadership Development Program
The content that requires inclusion in a nurse manager and leadership development program should comprise effective leadership style, improved service delivery, and ethical considerations. The content helps nurse managers, nurse leaders, and other practitioners in the healthcare sector deliver high-end services to individuals, who need healthcare services. In the argument advanced by Chaudhry and Javed (2012), effective managers understand the essence of integrating relevant leadership style with ethics to provide superb products to its consumers. The argument substantiates the relevance of the factors such as effective leadership style, improved service delivery, and ethical considerations in a successful nurse and leadership development program.
Conclusion
The health care system is a system that requires a high level of critical thinking and wise decision-making. Nurse leaders and nurse managers usually experience challenges as the health care system changes along with other developments witnessed in the contemporary society. In essence, nurse managers and nurse leaders need to embrace new styles of leadership, which facilitate improved service delivery. While some leadership and managerial qualities are similar, others are different. The slight differences that are apparent in leadership and management qualities imply that managers and leaders have roles and responsibilities that are slightly different. Although these roles were distinct in the past, the present society has witnessed managerial and leadership roles that are almost similar. Transformational leadership style is one the styles that employ both managerial and leadership qualities and encourages employees, nurse alike, to achieve organizational goals. As such, the style is very effective when nurse leaders and nurse managers apply it in the health care system.
References
Barton, T., Bevan, L., & Mooney, G. (2012). The development of advanced nursing roles. Nursing Times, 108(24), 18-20. Web.
Chaudhry, Q., & Javed, H. (2012). Impact of Transactional and Laissez Faire Leadership Style on Motivation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(7), 258-264. Web.
Finkelman, A. (2012). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.
Sadeghi, A., & Pihie, Z. (2012). Transformational Leadership and Its Predictive Effects on Leadership Effectiveness. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(7), 186-197. Web.
Wong, C. (2015). Connecting nursing leadership and patient outcomes: State of the science. Journal of Nursing Management, 23(1), 275–278. Web.