Introduction
Leadership is an important aspect of nursing practice that enables nursing professionals to complete various tasks. Nursing leaders do not simply provide high-quality care to patients as nurses train and educate patients and their caregivers, collaborate with other healthcare professionals and contribute to the development of new practices and policies through their involvement in decision-making (Stanley, 2016). Therefore, every nursing practitioner should know their leadership style to be able to address the set goals.
My Leadership Style
Cherry (2016) provides an effective tool to identify a person’s leadership style. The completion of the quiz helped me understand my leadership style better. According to the results obtained, I am a democratic leader. This style implies collaboration rather than supervision (Cherry, 2016).
The democratic leader tries to empower members of the team, guides them, and encourages them to become high achievers. I have always known that I am a democratic leader as I have always tried to give voice to each member of the team, which is the basic democratic principle. I believe this is one of the most effective leadership styles as it enables team members to contribute all their skills and knowledge, which translates into the development of creative, innovative and effective solutions to the existing problems.
Attributes of Leadership Needed for Family Nurse Practitioner
The family nurse practitioner completes various tasks in clinical and family practice. Nurses provide specific healthcare services, administer numerous procedures, prescribe certain treatment, as well as consult and educate people on their health conditions and health outcomes of the prescribed treatment (Denker, Sherman, Hutton-Woodland, Brunell, & Medina, 2015). Importantly, one of the major focuses of family nurses is prevention.
These healthcare professionals educate families regarding healthy lifestyles and diets. The major attributes of leadership that are needed include knowledgeability, empathy, and authority. Family nurses should have the necessary communication skills to collaborate with other healthcare professionals and communicate with families. Nurses often have to persuade their patients who have their own beliefs and views concerning health and wellness.
Personal Leadership Attributes and the Practice
As has been mentioned above, I am a democratic leader who gives a lot of freedom to team members. This is a good quality in the family nursing practice as it ensures an effective collaboration with other healthcare professionals (Stanley, 2016). The development of the treatment plan should be a collaborative activity where all stakeholders contribute effectively. Empowerment can also be a helpful attribute for working with families. Patients can feel that they are free to choose and make decisions, which will make them feel more confident. Patients will also trust such nursing professional more.
However, I believe I will be unable to use this leadership style in all settings and situations. I may need to be an authoritarian leader at times. This leadership style is widely applicable when the leader is significantly more knowledgeable than team members (Cherry, 2016). Such situations are quite common in nursing practice. For example, family nurses should make sure that patients complete all the necessary procedures and follow the developed treatment plan.
Patients tend to lack the necessary knowledge and skills to evaluate health risks associated with their behavior. Hence, the family nurse should explain and persuade the patient. In some cases, it is appropriate to appeal to one’s authority. It is impossible to give a lot of freedom to people when developing treatment plans. Of course, family nurses can give patients an opportunity to choose among some options. For example, patients can choose between yoga or dancing if both activities can be equally beneficial for their health.
I believe I can have problems with the use of authoritative leadership style due to my personal features and due to the lack of experience. I have rarely utilized this leadership style. I also feel uncomfortable when telling people what to do. However, I think I will be able to use authoritative leadership in my practice. I have extensive knowledge regarding people’s health, various types of treatment, medication and so on. This knowledge is the basis of my authority. I will also need to acquire certain communication skills associated with this leadership style. Persuasion, as well as direct instructions, should be clear and firm.
Conclusion
On balance, leadership is an indispensable part of the family nurse’s practice. Nursing practitioners can use different leadership styles to complete various tasks and achieve the set goals. When it comes to the family nurse, the major leadership style to be used should be democratic. Nurses should consult, educate and empower patients, but sometimes nursing professionals should also use authority to make patients follow the created treatment plan or some advice.
The democratic leadership style is also beneficial for the collaboration with other healthcare professionals. Nurses are members of larger groups that address various clinical goals. An effective nursing leader should have the necessary communication skills to be an effective member of a team of healthcare professionals, to be an educator and mentor for patients and their caregivers, and the like. I believe I have the necessary skills to start working in the field although I will continue self-development to become an effective nursing leader. It is necessary to remember that communication is “the top competency needed by nurse today” (Denker et al., 2015, p. 409).
References
Cherry, K. (2016). What’s your leadership style? Learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Web.
Denker, A., Sherman, R., Hutton-Woodland, M., Brunell, M., & Medina, P. (2015). Florida nurse leader survey findings. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(7/8), 404-410.
Stanley, D. (2016). Clinical leadership explored. In D. Stanley (Ed.), Clinical leadership in nursing and healthcare: Values into action (pp. 5-24). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.