Nursing Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Leadership and Management - Essay Example are most concerned about planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling their departments within set structures (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005, p. 81). Managers basically deal with ‘doing the right things’ while leaders deal with ‘doing things right.’ Nurse leaders must focus on theories of leadership as tools to reform the current staffing problems in many nursing facilities in the world. Theories of leadership that can be applied in nursing are behavioral theory, contingency theory, trait theory, and power and influence theories. Behavioral theory is concerned with what a good leader does rather than who he/she is. Nurse leaders who operate under this theory are inactive and passive, allowing their staff to determine their actions. Other leaders here can be democratic, giving equal voice to their staffs and accepting group decisions. Still under behavioral theory, nurse leaders can be autocratic, being the sole decision makers and adopting commands t o staffs rather than being open to suggestions (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005, p. 86). Shortage of nurses and dis-interest in this industry is attributed to the main reason that nurses do not feel appreciated or motivated enough in compensation and in recognition of their efforts. Nurse leaders and managers can begin to address this issue by creating work environments that are encouraging to their staffs. Leaders are central to motivation, and they should create environments that are open to interaction and understanding of nursing teams. Managers should, on the other hand, utilize management styles that are democratic and participative rather than autocratic or laissez-faire. Discouraged and demotivated nurses will respond better to suggestions and shared decision-making rather than to commands and one-person... This essay approves that changes in nursing practice are unending, and a shift is needed from the over-management of nursing staff to a leadership model that is adaptive and flexible. The nursing practice is heavily dependent on formal education programs from which staffing and new skills are derived. A best approach that will address personal and professional concerns of nurses in practice is the way forward in reducing staff shortages and turnover. Nursing that is led by a model ‘more leadership than management’ is the ultimate solution. This is the transformational model of leadership that is intent on creating nursing leaders and staffs who ‘work together’ and not ‘one for the other’ for better health care services. Future trends for the nursing practice in the twenty-first century indicate that the high shortage and turnover of nurses can only be permanently ended by a class of nurses who are multi-talented and supported to acquire new skil ls. Transformational leadership in nursing practice is the key to attracting such class of nurses and developing leaders who can effectively manage their resources for better output. This report makes a conclusion that the transformational leadership approach suits best my leadership style that is flexible to different situations. The situational-contingency theory of leadership maintains that no leadership style is the best one and that situation influences good leadership. It is certain that nursing will in the future be affected by changes in medical practice, policy, technology advancements, and alternative therapies among other changes. The extent of these effects or what they will be is not conclusively known; thus, no leadership approach can solely be the most suitable.