Leadership and Management Attributes
Competency
Evaluate leadership and management attributes that support critical decisions for nursing practice.
Scenario
You have recently started a position as a department director with five managers reporting to you. Earlier today, one of your managers reports that a client expired on her unit. She suspects that a factor that may have contributed to the client’s demise may be related to the actions of a nurse on her unit. This nurse has several notes in her personnel file that reflect potential client abuse. You and the nurse manager both have concerns that this sentinel event must be investigated.
Later in the day, the Chief Nursing Officer asks you to speak to new nurse managers to share attributes of leadership with the plan of enhancing their leadership skills. You see an opportunity to combine the situation of the client with a bad outcome, due to the alleged influence of one of the nurses, while building information to share this real-life situation with new nurse leaders.
Instructions
As a follow up to the investigation of the client’s unexpected death, generate an internal memo to your managers to reflect leadership and management attributes and include steps taken to investigate this unfortunate situation. As you create this memo, keep in mind that you should include:
• At least five leadership and/or management attributes for nurse leaders, as well as how they can improve client outcomes.
• Steps you would take to ensure the collection of data regarding this incident.
• Describe how transformational leadership style may influence the process of investigating this professional nurse colleague that reports to one of your unit managers.
• Provides stated ideas with professional language and attribution for credible sources with correct APA citation, spelling, and grammar.
To: Department Managers
From: [Your Name]
Subject: Leadership and Management Attributes in Responding to Sentinel Events
I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the importance of leadership and management attributes in supporting critical decisions for nursing practice. In light of a recent sentinel event on one of our units, I believe it is crucial that we examine our own leadership skills and take proactive steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our clients.
As nurse leaders, we must possess several key attributes to improve client outcomes. Here are five essential leadership and management attributes:
Clear communication: We must ensure that all communication is clear, concise, and effective, both in times of crisis and during day-to-day operations. Clear communication promotes teamwork, collaboration, and timely responses to any critical situations.
Strong decision-making skills: Nurse leaders must have the ability to make sound decisions, even in high-pressure situations. We must be able to weigh the risks and benefits of different options and select the best course of action for our clients.
Effective delegation: Leaders must delegate tasks effectively to their team members, ensuring that each person has the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the task successfully. Delegation allows leaders to focus on higher-level tasks and promotes professional growth among team members.
Accountability: Leaders must hold themselves and their team members accountable for their actions. We must take ownership of our decisions and actions and be willing to take corrective action when necessary.
Emotional intelligence: Leaders must be aware of their own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence allows us to connect with our team members, understand their perspectives, and respond appropriately to their needs.
In response to the recent sentinel event on our unit, I want to assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to investigate the situation thoroughly. We will collect data regarding the incident and review all relevant policies and procedures to determine the appropriate course of action.
Furthermore, as we investigate this incident, I want to remind you of the importance of a transformational leadership style. This style of leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating team members to achieve their full potential. In the process of investigating this professional nurse colleague, we must ensure that we do not undermine their self-worth or damage their professional relationships. Instead, we must approach this situation with empathy, understanding, and a focus on improvement.
I encourage each of you to continue to develop your leadership and management skills, especially in the areas of communication, decision-making, delegation, accountability, and emotional intelligence. By doing so, we can improve client outcomes and create a safe and effective environment for our clients and staff.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
References:
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Huber, D. (2018). Leadership and nursing care management (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
