Introduction
Health professionals in leadership positions apply their skills to mentor others, solve emerging problems, and support the delivery of exemplary medical services. A short interview was conducted whereby the targeted individual was a Nursing Director (ND). The male professional is aged 40 years, has a family, and manages a team of twelve nurses. He also oversees and approves most of the activities, initiatives, and actions his followers undertake. He encourages the use and adoption of emerging informatics in health in order to maximize the outcomes of every patient. The ultimate objective is to ensure that all people receive timely and personalized care.
The ND has a number of special qualifications and certifications, such as the Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML) and the Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN). The represented organization is a medium-sized hospital in Florida that serves around fifty patients every day. It provides a wide range of medical services, including pediatrics, orthopedics, maternal health, outpatient, and inpatient care. The identified interviewee was selected to shed more information regarding the issue of professional development in the field of nursing and the relevance and implication of future leading goals in healthcare institutions.
A Learning Conversation
The interviewee responded to eight questions revolving around the issue of leadership in nursing and its connection with organizational strategy. The first one focused on the mission, vision, and goals of the hospital. The ND indicated that the hospital’s mission was to serve mankind while the vision was to become the leading provider of exemplary medical services in Miami, Florida. The two main goals included offering high-quality care to the greatest number of patients and becoming a pacesetter in Florida’s healthcare sector. The second one was the DN’s expectations of an advanced practice nurse (APN) leader within his specialty.
According to him, APN should act as role models, guide their workmates, make evidence-based decisions, and promote the delivery of exemplary health services. This would be realized if such APNs embraced the concepts and traits of leadership. The third question was aimed at understanding how the Bachelor of Science-prepared nurse could excel at the advanced practice nursing level and transition to a nurse leader. In the targeted organization, the respondent believed that there was a need for such nurses to enroll in a Masters’s program. This would then be followed by developing a powerful philosophy focusing on the importance of leadership.
Such a professional could go further to join different teams within the hospital and identify a mentor to guide him or her (Ericsson & Augustinsson, 2015). With the support of other professionals, the DN revealed that it would be much easier for nurses to transition to leaders in the hospital and become patient advocates.
The fourth question was asked to understand how APNs could achieve their leadership goals. He pointed out that they should promote the power of evidence-based practice. The fifth one revolved around the expectations of patients and community members from those who want to become competent APN-leaders. The interviewee argued that such health workers should be willing to provide both care and specialty treatment when necessary. They have to guide their patients and establish positive relations in order to emerge successfully. These actions should also be merged with effective leadership practices within the healthcare setting.
The sixth question was how successful APN leaders could support the realization of the hospital’s goals (Batras, Duff, & Smith, 2016). According to the DN, all APNs were expected to apply their experiences and competencies throughout the healthcare delivery process, learn more from their patients, and always focus on the outlined organizational objectives.
The seventh question was posed to understand how the DN supported and encouraged APNs to transition to successful leaders in this hospital. As a supervisor, the DN was always ready to provide guidelines and ideas for pursuing a strategy, understanding patients’ needs, and solving work-related issues. The interviewee was also ready to work with different APNs, offer professional support, and become a role model.
The purpose of the last question was to understand how APNs who had transitioned successfully to nurse leaders could continue pursuing their objectives. The respondent revealed that there was a need for such professionals to engage in continuous learning and enroll in additional courses that could empower and make it easier for them to succeed (Ericsson & Augustinsson, 2015). The DN also encouraged them to join different nursing bodies or associations since they offer timely resources for career development.
Reflection and Follow-Up
The completed interviewee was successful since I managed to acquire additional information regarding the role of APNs in nurse settings and how to transition into new specialty roles. This exercise made it easier for me to understand how professional development was a critical factor towards the realization of organizational aims (Wong, 2015). The process was also rewarding since the DN was collaborative and willing to provide appropriate answers to all questions presented. With his knowledge in issues to do with care delivery and leadership, I acquired powerful insights that will continue to guide me in the future. As a practitioner, I will be able to develop a powerful strategy using such concepts in an attempt to achieve my future objectives.
The best initiative is to follow the ideas presented to develop a powerful philosophy that will always guide me. I will do this by examining the outlined goals in my current organization and locate different associations that will guide me. I will go further to select a mentor who is in a leadership position. This individual will offer timeless instructions and support in order to continue improving my managerial skills. I will keep a journal entry that will identify current achievements and areas for improvement.
These resultant plans will make it easier for me to develop professionally. It is critical to engage in continuous learning in an attempt to learn more about emerging ideas and attributes in the field of nursing leadership (Wong, 2015). I will consider the concepts different models or theories present to improve my skills. The final action plan is to undertake numerous leadership roles in my specialty. Such a move will make me successful and capable of delivering high-quality care to my patients.
Concluding Summary
The completed interviewee has presented evidence-based guidelines that prospective nurse leaders can consider to transition successfully in the selected organization or elsewhere. The discussion has highlighted the importance of being part of a team, engaging in continuous learning, and merging personals aims with the vision and mission of the organization. Those who want to make a successful transition to leadership roles should keep journal entries and join other professional nursing associations. Being close to their patients will support the process and make it easier for them to emerge successfully.
References
Batras, D., Duff, C., & Smith, B. J. (2016). Organizational change theory: Implications for health promotion practice. Health Promotion International, 31(1), 231-241. Web.
Ericsson, U., & Augustinsson, S. (2015). The role of first line managers in health care organisations: A qualitative study on the work life experience of ward managers. Journal of Research in Nursing, 20(4), 280-295. Web.
Wong, C. (2015). Connecting nursing leadership and patient outcomes: State of the science. Journal of Nursing Management, 23(1), 275-278. Web.