Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX4005 Nursing Leadership: Focusing on People, Processes, and Organizations
Prof. Name
Date
Patient-centered care is one of the major drivers of nursing leadership, as the culture of collaboration and open communication is promoted. Good leaders provide an environment where employees feel free to raise issues related to patient safety and engage in the enhancement efforts (Niinihuhta and Laitila, 2022). In my work experience, I have been able to observe the impact of leadership on patient outcomes in a healthcare environment. This reflection will discuss my participation in an interdisciplinary team and approaches that enhance collaborative practice.
Through my rotation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I helped in the treatment of a patient with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) who presented with the patient with worsening renal functioning. The complex condition of the patient required the effort of nephrologists, dietitians, pharmacists, and nurses to manage the fluid balance, medications, and food restrictions. First, the team has suffered a lack of communication and this has slowed down the execution of treatment. Realizing this issue, I collaborated with the charge nurse to bring the care team together and establish the roles and tasks. Once the communication was made successful, the team collaborated. This led to the development of a concerted care plan that stabilized the position of the patient and had more positive outcomes. This has taught me the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in the management of chronic conditions such as CKD.
Open communication, listening, and the capability to lead the team and inspire them to accomplish shared purposes are the primary features of an effective nursing leader that will shape my future work in the clinical setting (Jankelova and Joniakova, 2021). A nurse leader, who engages the team members in the process of decision-making and provides the atmosphere in which open feedback is received, builds trust, cohesion, and collaborative practice, as an example.
Conversely, bad leadership in the healthcare profession is defined as the expression of poor communication, lack of expectations, and support, which hinder the work of the team (Labrague, 2021). For instance, a nurse who fails to organize the care when giving medication. This translates to work errors and frustration amongst the staff. It is important that nurses not only take these differences into account but also evaluate their leadership style and apply those methods which are based on the involvement of staff and patient-centered care.
The current approach that can be employed to enhance nursing leadership and team performance is Transformational Leadership (TL). TL is aimed at building trust. It requires an adequate background of communication, respect towards each other, and a cooperative working atmosphere (Jankelova and Joniakova, 2021). This type of leadership will promote trust in the employees, increase their engagement, and job satisfaction. Nurses can use the TL principles in their practice to help them collaborate in forming professional relationships. A nurse leader that involves the team members in the process of developing the patient care plans and takes into account their input can encourage teamwork and liability. This will inevitably lead to improved care and patient outcomes.
Patient rounds conducted by interdisciplinary teams is an effective strategies of promoting collaboration in healthcare. This model entails the collaboration of physicians, nurses, other allied health workers, patients and their families to provide holistic care. According to the researchers, direct patient rounding can lead to increased patient satisfaction and more effective planning of discharge (Lobchuk et al., 2021). Multidisciplinary critical care teams have the potential to enhance patient safety by ensuring timely detection of clinical deterioration and timely interventions. It has been demonstrated that these teams reduce adverse events by developing interdisciplinary co-ordination (Sloss et al., 2022).
TL is a leadership framework, which aims at attaining significant and sustainable results. This is done to ensure that communication skills are developed in order to make them clear and understand each other. The communication between the staff members will be improved through active listening, the reflection of the feedback, and the positive responses (Jankelová and Joniakova, 2021). Moreover, enrolling in professional development courses enhances growth, organizational values, and respect among the employees. Interdisciplinary team briefs and opportunities can be offered to all the team members because a nurse leader is able to enhance collaboration and patient outcomes (Sloss et al., 2022). One of the best plans of fostering teamwork within the medical field is the application of TL principles to encourage the spirit of teamwork among nurses through patient rounds by interdisciplinary teams.
The idea of the integration of effective nursing leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration is the key to delivering patient-centered care. TL gives principles of building trust, interaction, and career development among employees. Patients and multidisciplinary critical care teams are better coordinated and safer with team-based rounding. Such leadership values and teamwork practices will empower nurses to facilitate favorable, healthcare environments that will result in the improvement of the patient care.
Jankelová, N., & Joniaková, Z. (2021). Communication skills and transformational leadership style of first-line nurse managers in relation to job satisfaction of nurses and moderators of this relationship. Healthcare, 9(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346
Labrague, L. J. (2021). Influence of nurse managers’ toxic leadership behaviors on nurse‐reported adverse events and quality of care. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(4), 855–863. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13228
Lobchuk, M., Bell, A., Hoplock, L., & Lemoine, J. (2021). Interprofessional discharge team communication and empathy in discharge planning activities: A narrative review. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 23(23), 100393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2020.100393
Niinihuhta, M., & Laitila, A. (2022). A systematic review of the relationships between nurse leaders’ leadership styles and nurses’ work‐related well‐being. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 28(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.13040
Sloss, R., Mehta, R., & Metaxa, V. (2022). End-of-life and palliative care in a critical care setting: The crucial role of the critical care pharmacist. Pharmacy, 10(5), 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10050107
