Introduction
Healthcare services management aimed at improving the effectiveness by using a set of principles, methods, and means of activating the force and motives of nurses. In order to reveal the topic, it seems appropriate to consider magnetism and the nursing workforce.
Initially, components and forces of magnetism appeared in 1983 because of the shortage of nurses. The shortage of nurses was associated with a situation in which the demand for nurses was higher than the supply. The number of duties of nurses had increased, and patients had become more demanding than ever before. In addition, the average age of nurses was increasing while the number of applications for the program a bachelor’s degree in this profession decreased. Nowadays, the same situation is observed to some extent.
Five Components of Magnetism
The first component of Transformational Leadership strengthens motivation, morale and performance of nurses through a variety of mechanisms. The second Structural Empowerment component is aimed at optimizing the relationships between nurses and patients and improving the efficiency of nurses. The third one is Exemplary Professional Practice that suggests continuous nursing education and professional development. New Knowledge, Innovation, and Improvements compose the fourth magnetism component that provides new researches and care models. Finally, the last Empirical Quality Results component is directed at nurses’ professional development within the national benchmarking as only by means of constant improvement a nurse might remain a professional specialist.
14 Forces of Magnetism
Among the forces of magnetism, it is necessary to identify the following points:
- Quality of Nursing Leadership
- Organizational Structure
- Management Style
- Personnel Policies and Programs
- Professional Models of Care
- Quality of Care
- Quality Improvement
- Consultation and Resources
- Autonomy
- Community and Health Care Organization
- Nurses as Teachers
- Image of Nursing
- Interdisciplinary Relationships
- Professional Development
Forces associated with each Component of Magnetism
With the aim of connecting 5 magnetism components and 14 magnetism forces, I would like to associate them with each other. First, Transformational Leadership relates to the Quality of Nursing Leadership (Force 1) and Management Style (Force 3) as they are the key constituents of the nursing leadership. Structural Empowerment is connected with the Organizational Structure (Force 2), Personnel Policies and Programs (Force 4), Community and the Healthcare Organization (Force 10), Image of Nursing (Force 12), and Professional Development (Force 14). Nurses’ professional ethics comes to the fore as it demonstrates the high level of professionalism. Moreover, Exemplary Professional Practice is associated with Professional Models of Care (Force 5), Quality of Care (Force 6), Improvement (Force 7), Consultation and Resources (Force 8), Autonomy (Force 9), Nurses as Teachers (Force 11), and Interdisciplinary Relationships (Force 13). “It is reasonable to propose that strategies aimed toward building nurse autonomy and engaging nurses to the fullest extent of their capabilities may lead to improvements in quality outcomes,” state Wilson et al. (2015, p. 20). New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements force includes the Quality of Care: Research and Evidence Based Practice (Force 6) and Quality Improvement (Force 7) as well. In addition, Empirical Quality Outcomes reveals in Quality of Care of Patients (Force 6).
How Component and its Associated Forces Influence Evidence-based Leadership in an Organization
Magnetism forces and components affect evidence-based leadership in an organization strongly. According to Johansson, Fogelberg-Dahm, and Wadensten (2010), who provided evidence-based research among Sweden nurses in magnet organization, “the majority reported a positive attitude towards EBP” (p. 76). Each component and its associated force contribute to the growth of leadership in an organization (Clavelle, O’Grady, & Drenkard, 2013). For example, the Transformational Leadership along with is Exemplary Professional Practice and its forces allow to define specific objectives, organization, phased implementation, and monitore results optimally.
Examples of Component and its Associated Forces and How They Influence Patient Care in a Health Care Organization
It is considered that Quality of Care and Quality Improvement are the main forces of the patient care in a health care organization. A nurse should seek to gain the trust of the patient and make every effort to ensure to help him so that the latter felt it. However, except for attentive attitude to the patient, a nurse should have sufficient medical knowledge and improve skills in order to provide professional physical and psychological support. Nevertheless, nursing effectiveness “predicted by a combination of individual and contextual factors” (Laschinger, Nosko, Wilk & Finegan, 2014, p. 1621). In this regard, it was stated that each component and its associated force are valued and significant for the health care delivery (Messmer & Trukel, 2010). Therefore, nurses should find a balance between the above factors to provide high-quality care.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be stressed that the issue of healthcare service quality cannot be overestimated as it relates directly to health and sometimes the life of man. The optimization of management of healthcare system at a nursing level would lead to the increasing productivity. In this regard, the application of magnetism in the nursing workforce is justified.
References
Clavelle, J., O’Grady, T., & Drenkard, K. (2013). Structural Empowerment and the Nursing Practice Environment in Magnet® Organizations. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(11), 566-573.
Johansson, B., Fogelberg-Dahm, M., & Wadensten, B. (2010). Evidence-based practice: The importance of education and leadership. Journal Of Nursing Management, 18(1), 70-77.
Laschinger, H., Nosko, A., Wilk, P., & Finegan, J. (2014). Effects of unit empowerment and perceived support for professional nursing practice on unit effectiveness and individual nurse well-being: A time-lagged study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(12), 1615-1623.
Messmer, P. R., & Trukel, M. C. (2010). Magnetism and the nursing workforce. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 15(1), 233-252.
Wilson, M., Sleutel, M., Newcomb, P., Behan, D., Walsh, J., Wells, J., & Baldwin, K. (2015). Empowering Nurses With Evidence-Based Practice Environments: Surveying Magnet®, Pathway to Excellence®, and Non-Magnet Facilities in One Healthcare System. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 12(1), 12-21.