Running head: LEADERSHIP: ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS AND INFLUENCING CHANGE
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LEADERSHIP: ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS AND INFLUENCING CHANGE
Post 1
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SundayJan 23 at 2:22pm
Professor and class,
In my chosen professional practice area, Nursing Informatics, change is a large part of professional activities. In an ever-changing healthcare world, technology is changing perhaps faster than any other aspect of the work. The computers get updated, programs have new versions or are switched to new ones, workflows and documentation requirements are adjusted, and government requirements are implemented. All of these changes can be confusing and exhausting for healthcare workers, and the informatics nurse can be a source of information and support as a leader and agent of change.
As a masters-prepared nurse, I can lead change by keeping informed and involved with upcoming changes and needs for change. Communicating frequently with end-users will help me establish good working relationships and be informed on feedback. It will also help to manage nurses’ expectations and inform them of what may get easier about changes with time. Schenk et al. (2021) found that perceptions of new EMRs or changes generally improved over time as staff acquired skills and experience with them. This means that I can assure both myself and the nurses I work with that those changes, though sometimes challenging, can be easily integrated into their daily workflows.
Two of my leadership strengths are building interdepartmental relationships and an affinity for helping others with the technology used for patient care. Areas of improvement might include giving concise explanations for changes and building resilience around difficult changes or changes that do not seem to help the nurses or patients adequately. To improve these skills, one strategy would be to continue my involvement in precepting new nurses, focusing on how I communicate changes and the reasons for them. Another strategy would be continuing to build stress management techniques, such as work/life balance, quality time with friends and family, and other self-care activities. These strategies will increase my effectiveness as a future informatics nurse leader.
Post 2
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MondayJan 24 at 12:39pm
Good afternoon Professor and Class,
Change is something that although happens often is not easy for many to adjust with. However, the healthcare system will forever expand. As a nurse in leadership, I strive to impact my team by giving positive direction, empowering ideas, advocating for patients and staff, setting and achieving goals, and implementing plan of action.
Two strengths I have that will promote strong leadership is listening and communicating. As a leader it is imperative that you listen to your team. It is also important that you communicate with them regularly and effectively. When doing so, allows the staff member to trust you as their leader and feel safe when talking to you. In the past, we had a night shift supervisor who was known to gossip. There were many complaints regarding the negative influence this supervisor had on nightshift. The morale on this shift was low. When brought to my attention I did an investigation. After further investigation, and learning the dynamics of the information being spread around the unit, the supervisor was let go. This type of behavior is not tolerated. Gossip in the work place should be handled swiftly. Gossip can spreads like fuel on a fire. In order to assist in putting out these type of fires, lines of communication must be established between manager and staff.
Two areas that I could improve are strategically delegating tasks and individual support. Being able to strategically delegate tasks allows the team to work cohesively and more effectively. I am guilty of taking on too much. Although I realize that leveraging my team’s strength will not only bring value to the team, but allow us to continue to grow. This is an area I recognize I need to improve. Another area of improvement would be implementing individual support. I can remember working at the bedside and feeling like my hard work was unnoticed. I always left out individually. We would get praises for great team work but I was never praised for individual work. I felt that if my manager talked with the staff individually and not only collectively, it would make us feel appresciated and help solve the many problems we had on the unit. It would be a good time to hear our thoughts and ideas. Implementing Individual support would allow me to meet with my team on an individual basis. This would allow more feedback and improve overall trust. Knowing how this made me feel is something to keep in mind going forward. The best leader is one who leads by example. Improving in this area would allow me to lead by example.
Two priority strategies I will implement to improve my leadership skills are personal growth and trainings. I believe in order to be a successful leader I must demonstrate qualities that I wish for my team to practice. Personal development is a sure way I can improve my effectiveness as a manager. Another way is to look for self-improvement training opportunities. Oftentimes we put emphasis on positive development of traits or skills for our staff but not ourselves. I want to be able to display positive traits and skill to my team as we develop and grow.
Instructor post
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