Introduction
Nurse leaders possess adequate skills and philosophies that guide them to mentor their followers. They can consider various issues in practice to transform existing situations and maximize the health outcomes of the targeted beneficiaries. This essay compares and contrasts how leaders and managers approach the concept of Magnet Designation.
Magnet Designation
Nursing excellence is something critical since it ensures that more patients receive high-quality, sustainable, and affordable care. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Magnet Recognition Program is a designation that recognizes medical facilities and hospitals that are associated with innovative and professional practices (as cited in Heller, Berends, & Skillin, 2018). Institutions that attain this recognition will have more contented nurses, improved patient satisfaction levels, and higher clinical experiences or outcomes. Hospitals planning to achieve this designation have to go through a rigorous on-site analysis and review.
Leaders vs. Managers
The roles of managers tend to differ significantly from those of leaders in the field of nursing. These professionals pursue and undertake diverse roles that eventually transform or improve service delivery. Focusing on the issue of magnet status, a leader will be willing to guide his or her followers to act in a professional manner, solve emerging differences, and develop powerful philosophies for meeting patients’ needs. Such an individual will set the right standards and uphold them. They will have to possess these competencies in order to deliver positive outcomes: decision-making, effective communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, and charisma (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The leader will implement and support new change initiatives that are aimed at improving operations and practices in the selected organization continuously. The focus will be on the best initiatives, procedures, and activities that have the potential to deliver this gold standard for nursing. Leaders tend to apply diverse styles depending on their personalities or the targeted followers.
The role of a nurse manager (NM) in a health facility pursuing this kind of designation will be supervisory in nature. This is true since the four functions of management include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The professional will instruct skilled nurses or leader and guide them to pursue the intended Magnet Designation status. They will check or monitor how activities and procedures are done, make budgetary allocations, set the right schedules, and liaise with the relevant departments to ensure that positive results are recorded. Such managers will analyze the nature of patient care, organize meetings, and examine the effectiveness of every implemented procedure. These experts tend to expect their subordinates to deliver the intended status.
The Best Approach
My personal and professional philosophy of nursing is to apply the standards of practice and ensure that every patient receives high-quality and timely care. This means that the leader’s approach to the issue of Magnet Designation resonates with my career aims. Nurses have a responsibility to engage their colleagues, formulate goals, and work as teams to maximize patients’ experiences (Hassmiller & Truelove, 2014). Using this model, it can be easier to engage in activities and initiatives that have the potential to improve the quality of services available to different individuals. It is also possible to identify emerging evidence-based ideas and concepts that can transform care delivery procedures.
This approach resonates with my leadership style since its supports the concepts of involvement and constant participation. A leader is always part of the process, guides others, solves problems, and shares information with the departmental manager. Such an expert understands the unique gaps that might affect the realization of the intended Magnet Designation and address them. This approach also creates a new opportunity for developing superior skills and philosophies for meeting the demands of both followers and patients (Heller et al., 2018). The focus on this model will make it possible for any nurse to develop superior styles for engaging others and delivering timely results. When all practitioners embrace this concept, chances of getting this award for excellence increase significantly. Through the use of this approach, I will continue to expand my philosophy and ensure that many institutions achieve this award.
Source of Funding
Hospitals pursuing the Magnet Designation award require additional resources for training nurses and clinicians, purchasing appropriate medical equipment, acquiring health information technologies (HITs), and improving patients’ experiences (Hassmiller & Truelove, 2014). The targeted institution will have to identify a potential source of funds or grant. The best example for this scenario is the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This agency supports hospitals that are planning to implement evidence-based procedures for improving access to medical care and support. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) is also capable of providing adequate funds to health facilities planning to achieve this status.
Conclusion
The Magnet Designation is identified and defined as the gold standard for evidence-based nursing practice. Managers and leaders can, therefore, apply their competencies and philosophies to ensure that their hospitals achieve this award. The selected approach can empower nurses to guide others, focus on this status, and improve the quality of medical care available to the greatest number of patients.
References
Hassmiller, S. B., & Truelove, J. (2014). Are you the best leader you can be? American Journal of Nursing, 114(1), 61-67.
Heller, K., Berends, W., & Skillin, P. (2018). Organizational culture and nursing practice: The Magnet Recognition Program® as a framework for positive change. Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes, 29(3), 328-335. Web.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.