Introduction
The initiative to implement the in-home assessment program is quite complex. It requires initiative from the organization’s management, financial departments, and direct executors in the field. According to the plan, a nurse or a paramedic will work with patients at home, and the practical implementation of the initiative will depend on them. Other stakeholders also influence the process of facilitating changes, but the health worker is a key link in the plan.
A nurse providing in-home care interacts with the administration and patients, and the nurse largely determines how other stakeholders perceive the initiative. To successfully implement change, the health worker must be a competent leader with sufficient leadership skills and a desire to improve the organization of the process. This essay will review the basic principles of transformational leadership in healthcare organizations and the qualities that the nurse leader needs to work on in a project will be highlighted.
In-Home Care Project
Transformational leadership is a unique approach to organizing the work of a team, in which the leader not only provides direct leadership but also motivates people to take action and show their initiative. This approach allows you to involve all participants in the workflow, inspire them, and help them realize their part of the project with maximum efficiency (Collins et al., 2019). The transformational leader does more than oversee work and give direction. He cares about subordinates and colleagues and listens to their needs and feedback. This helps to build harmonious relationships in the team and increases the degree of trust in the leader and the cohesion of the people around him.
Applying Transformational Leadership to Improve Outcomes
The following principles of transformational leadership apply: individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence. To enhance the project’s outcome, the leader can adapt to the realities of medicine. Individualized consideration of the needs of patients and staff, as the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the initiative, is essential for a positive perception of change and overcoming hesitations on their part.
For all participants in the process to be actively involved in its implementation and sufficiently motivated to work, the leader must use inspirational motivation. Intellectual stimulation is significant for the nurse leader, as encouraging workers to think and make their own decisions as part of the initiative is very important in implementing changes in healthcare delivery. A nurse working at home should be independent and confident enough in her abilities and knowledge to act without the help of a leader nurse under challenging situations. Finally, the positive idealized influence of a competent transformative leader will give employees the right direction in the work process, behavior, and appearance, which can improve the work.
Leadership Skills and Strategies for Effective Implementation
To successfully implement an in-home care project, the nurse leader can use practical leadership skills and strategies to improve performance. One of the essential skills is conflict management. In medical care, conflict situations often arise at different levels: an employee may conflict with superiors, patients, and colleagues. Working in medicine requires the ability to negotiate and look for joint solutions. In this process, the participation of a leader is essential. They must serve as a fair mediator of the conflict, be able to listen to all parties and find the best way out of the situation.
In addition, the nurse leader will require skills in change management and a high level of adaptability in implementing new projects (School, 2021). Sometimes, it can be challenging to reorganize and change the usual workflow, such as starting to provide care not within the medical institution but at the patient’s home. The leader must quickly adapt and help other colleagues adapt.
The facilitator nurse can also benefit from the use of proven leadership strategies. One of the most valuable strategies for working with diverse stakeholders is to encourage two-way communication between people. The exchange of information, experience, and positive and negative feedback is essential for effective communication and workflow optimization. In addition, a good leader will facilitate the hierarchical transfer of data from management to subordinates and provide input so that all departments and stakeholders are involved in the work process.
Among the strategies, one can also indicate the leader’s encouragement of the growth and development of the team and its members. This process implies the active involvement of everyone in the decision-making process, a proper delegation of authority, and trust. By stimulating the individual development of each person involved in the work process, the nurse leader promotes growth in all aspects of the initiative and consolidates its success.
Conclusion
Thus, a nurse leader in an in-home care project must have particular skills, strategies, and knowledge in transformational leadership. Given the number of stakeholders involved in this project’s implementation, the health worker’s leadership qualities will be critical to the initiative’s success. In addition, the medical worker directly interacts with patients, whose well-being is aimed at by these changes. That is why a trained and motivated nurse leader must be delegated a key role in organizing the project implementation.
References
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2019). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 35(5), 59–66. Web.
School, T. C. (2021). 5 important leadership skills for nurses: The Chicago School. Insight Digital Magazine. Web.