In the course of my job practicum at the New York Methodist Hospital, my professional experience was guided by a dedicated preceptor who significantly assisted in my career development. At the beginning of this year, the world faced an exceptional challenge in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly affected the global healthcare system as well. By performing the role of a nurse manager, my preceptor was obliged to deal with the decision-making issues, such as deploying limited medical personnel and resources, as well as supporting the staff as a leader. The mentor was accountable for decreasing the tension, specifically for nurses who were unaccustomed to working under emergency conditions. Another yet critical challenge was to adequately manage the utilization of scarce resources and provide a higher level of care.
I believe that my preceptor demonstrated the exemplary embodiment of genuine servant leadership throughout the job practicum, especially in terms of the unexpected dissemination of life-threatening diseases and the complex environment it created. The seven distinct characteristics of servant leadership developed by Darryl DelHousaye and Bobby Brewer indicate that being a leader goes far beyond preserving personal power. According to Fahlberg & Toomey (2016), becoming a servant leader is an ongoing process that requires “time, attention, and humility” (p. 50). A servant leader is the one who puts the needs of his followers as the priority and, thus, it can be best analyzed within the medical settings. As described by Onwuegbuchunam (2020), carefully listening first and, thereafter, responding to the problems are the fundamental priorities of a servant leader. This also includes recognizing other people’s opinions and emotional aspects.
Based on the practicum experience, my mentor led the nurses to engage in common prayers and discussions. Therefore, she considerably helped her colleagues and the entire medical team, her followers, to develop a credible coping mechanism. The mentor’s guidance was presented as the combination of transformational leadership and servant leadership, where a leader worked with both the nursing teams and interdisciplinary teams. As a servant leader, she aimed at identifying necessary change, creating a clear vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executing the change in terms of a rapidly evolving environment. She taught us one of the most vital qualities in the nursing field, such as “empathy,” which greatly contributes to working with the patients and is “in line with the servant leadership” (Onwuegbuchunam, 2020, p. 109). Despite the pandemic’s interference, my preceptor managed to continue education through phone conferences and a facetime period. Altogether, the practicum activities were primarily based on the principles of servant leadership, displays of humility, and ethical considerations.
The idea of servant leadership implies serving first as well as the capacity to promote the relationships, which are general aspects of the most efficient nursing leaders. Nurses establish the core principles of leadership by specifically leading, volunteering, advocating, as well as encouraging outspoken opinions. The obtained experience of collaborating with my mentor throughout the practicum majorly influenced my perceptions about being a nurse manager and a healthcare provider in general. By taking the role of a genuine servant leader, my preceptor united the team of medical personnel in a place where everyone could make a difference in a coherent manner. Her leadership vision was undoubtedly a source of motivation for me and other workers to follow and engage in the process. With that said, I am further challenged and encouraged to develop the full potential of my nursing career as a servant leader.
References
Fahlberg, B., & Toomey, R. (2016). Servant leadership. Nursing, 46(10), 49–52.
Onwuegbuchunam, L. (2020). Servant leadership and moral courage in Canadian nursing. Friesen Press.