Management of Power at SLMC
Addressing the needs of patients from different backgrounds and with different health issues, at the same time managing the work of nurses, scheduling essential activities and handling the available data appropriately are crucial components of a nurse executive (NE) in the environment of the Saint Louis Medical Center (SLMC). To ensure that all tasks are carried out accordingly, an NE must deploy the principles of the management of power that allow for rapid data processing and efficient completion of key goals. The identified objectives, in turn, can be met once staff members are motivated and fully aware of their responsibilities. For this purpose, using the leadership theory based on a combination of the Transformative Leadership style (TL) and the Situational Leadership framework (SL)., the identified combination allows for a significant rise in the levels of engagement among nurses, as well as an impressive amount of flexibility in using the available resources.
Leadership Theory
To address the issues that currently define the efficacy of nursing services at SLMC, one will have to consider the Transformational Theory framework. By design, the suggested approach implies enhancing the levels of engagement among staff members by understanding their motivations. The use of the Situational Leadership theory, in turn, should also be considered a necessity since it will offer the flexibility required for adjusting to the needs of diverse populations (Frush, 2014).
Organizational Structure Influences at SLMC
It should be noted that there is an array of organizational structures that can be deployed in the environment of SLMC. For instance, the propensity toward integrating interdisciplinary nursing teams can be viewed as one of the primary factors determining the strategy for power management. Given the significance of interdisciplinary teams for the increase in the quality of care, number of positive patient outcomes, and rise in nurses’ competencies, it is essential to foster the further collaboration between nursing experts (Saba & McCormick, 2015). Therefore, the management of power in the context of SLMC will have to include the provision of opportunities for multidisciplinary cooperation.
The presence of nursing governance, by which SLMC can also be characterized, in turn, implies the necessity to adjust to the choices made by coordination groups. The identified approach may be viewed as somewhat controversial since coordination groups are unlikely to be fully aware of the unique setting of SLMC and, thus, may fail to identify the best available solution for a particular issue. However, the identified agencies will deliver an impartial assessment of a certain issue and, thus, will create the environment in which an objective assessment of workplace dilemmas and their efficient resolution will become a possibility (Huber, 2017).
In contrast to the focus on interdisciplinary cooperation, the use of nursing governance is bound to restrict the amount of independence with which NE is provided. Thus, the specified design will reduce the role of an NE to choosing between proposed alternatives. The adoption of the structure based on interdisciplinary collaboration, on the contrary, will encourage the active process of knowledge sharing and promote active participation among all staff members, entitling each to a certain range of responsibilities.
Supporting Evidence: SLMC Analysis
The structures mentioned above will affect the role of an NE directly by shaping the way in which the management of power will occur. For instance, the use of interdisciplinary groups will allow an NE to reinforce the process of patient education and the active acquisition of essential knowledge and skills by vulnerable demographics. The specified change will become possible due to opportunities for building an improved dialogue with patients with the help of interdisciplinary collaboration. With shared knowledge, nurses will be able to understand the needs of target demographics better and, thus, encourage patients to communicate with them successfully. As a result, patient learning process will be launched, and nursing programs aimed at teaching patients the essentials of self-care will be implemented respectively. Consequently, the role of an NE will be shifted toward education and communication to a considerable extent (Huber, 2017).
The nursing governance structure, in turn, should also be regarded as one of the factors that have a paramount effect on alterations in the role of an NE and the responsibilities thereof from a power management perspective. Specifically, the opportunities for managing conflicts efficiently and being provided with an impartial analysis of a particular confrontation should be viewed as an important improvement. The specified changes will entail a significant alteration in the role of an NE. Previously implying the necessity to make essential management- and leadership-related decisions in a nursing environment, an NE may be relegated to the position of a mediator. The specified alteration should not be viewed as negative, however, since it will entail a drop in the pressure of responsibilities that an NE has to face in the context of a hospital setting (Huber, 2017).
Conclusion
The process of managing power requires considerable flexibility and at the same time demands encouraging staff members to retain high responsibility levels. Therefore, combining the principles of the TL approach and the SL framework seems to be the most legitimate decision to make when designing the strategy for managing the power at SLMC. The proposed tool for exerting influence, navigating workplace processes, and motivating employees will result in a steep rise of performance efficacy.
References
Frush, K. S. (2014). Pediatric patient safety and quality improvement. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Huber, D. (2017). Leadership and nursing care management. New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Saba, V. K., & McCormick, K. A. (2015). Essentials of nursing informatics (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.