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

Nursing and Leadership - Assignment Example Despite that, there are a few challenges which are faced in the department. The interviewed Director of Nursing (DON) stated that the lack of LTC taught courses/classes to new graduate students is one of the challenges that they do face and that has to be resolved with immediate effect. This is due to the fact that the ratio of individuals at the centre who need LTC is higher than the staffs that are available to offer it. As a result, some inconveniences and hitches do occur while propagating for effective LTC. In a bid to counter the LTC problem, the leadership that is prevalent in the nursing department matters a lot. If the leadership is based on morale and productivity, then that will yield success in offering LTC to patients else more challenges are prone to be faced on a daily basis. With that, there are a number of leadership styles that can be practiced in the nursing department. However, these depend entirely on variables such as people and the environment. Some of the lead ership styles include: Democratic: This is one of the best leadership styles that a nursing department can incorporate. It advocates for the inclusion of the nurses in the decision making process. This makes them feel motivated as well as part and parcel of the health care facility committee. However, the senior nurse makes the final decisions; Authoritative: This style of leadership is stricter as compared to the democratic leadership style. The senior nurse makes all the decisions without the inclusion of the other nurses. Additionally, the senior nurse gives orders to be done and there is very close supervision of the nurses in the department. This is not the best approach to implement in a nursing environment. The nurses may feel de-motivated, neglected and they may lack innovation in their line of work; Affiliative: This leadership style is focussed on people (nurses). It ensures that the nurses have a satisfactory working environment so that they can deliver superior care serv ices to patients. This style is best to boost morale in the nurses. However, the senior nurse may lack their authoritative figure. Based on the response of the DON, the most effective and efficient leadership styles that ought to be incorporated are the democratic and affiliative leadership styles. In a bid to support this, Goleman (2000) suggested that leaders should incorporate a variety of leadership styles and focus on those that are fruitful. Some of the leadership skills that go hand in hand with good leadership styles include: Interpersonal skills - Which incorporate the aspects of managing the different and unique cultural diversities in the department. It is important for a leader to have the right knowledge while dealing with different cultures since a health care centre is a home to all types of people regardless of their ethnicity background; Democratic skills; Listening skills, Problem solving skills – Which help to solve problems without encountering big risks, Time management skills and Motivational skills. If a leader has a number of the mentioned skills,