Leadership and Management Attributes
INTERNAL MEMO
To: Unit Managers
From: [Your Name], Department Director
Subject: Leadership Attributes and Investigation of Recent Sentinel Event
Date:
Because of the sad incident that occurred in one of our units, I would like to draw everyone’s attention to a few crucial management and leadership qualities that are related to our responsibilities as nurse leaders. I also want to outline how we are going to fully investigate this event. The aim is to ensure our commitment toward the safety of our patients and quality care, but underscores the many leadership qualities to reap from a situation like this.
Leadership and Management Attributes
Accountability
We, being leaders, should hold ourselves and our limb employees accountable for deeds and decisions. In this area, everything bears fruit in responsibility, whether it is positive or to be improvement. In the context of patient care, accountability ensures that high standards are maintained, that everything is taken care of, and that problems are nipped in the bud.
Ethical Decision-Making
Our decisions at all times must be governed by ethical principles. While considering choices or options, we will work in the best interest of our patients and for their safety. This attribute will be very important when it comes to very challenging situations, like investigating potential misconduct or abuse.
Effective Communication
Clear, timely, and transparent communication is daytime dioxide in healthcare (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2022; The Joint Commission, 2021). It prevents miscommunication, promotes teamwork, and ensures that appropriate information is shared. During investigations or any other crisis, effective communication becomes very critical.
Critical Thinking
One of the hallmarks of nurse leaders is the skill to understand complex situations, to take different perspectives, and to make appropriate decisions (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2022; The Joint Commission, 2021). This has been a useful skill in navigating challenging scenarios and finding optimal solutions.
Emotional Intelligence
One needs to understand one’s emotions and the people working in the team for a smooth working environment, away from negativity, and one should handle sensitive issues with compassion and professionalism.
Overall, these attributes directly contribute to improved client outcomes by fostering a culture of safety, promoting evidence-based practice, and ensuring that patient care remains our top priority.
Steps for Investigating the Incident
- Establish an investigation team: Form a diverse group including representatives from nursing, quality improvement, and risk management.
- Secure relevant documentation: Gather all pertinent medical records, incident reports, and personnel files related to the case.
- Conduct interviews: Speak with all staff members involved in the patient’s care, as well as any witnesses to the incident (Patra & De Jesus, 2023).
- Review policies and procedures: Examine relevant hospital policies to determine if they were followed and if any gaps exist.
- Analyze data: Compile and analyze all collected information to identify contributing factors and root causes.
- Develop an action plan: Based on findings, create a plan to address any identified issues and prevent similar incidents in the future.
- Follow-up and monitoring: Implement the action plan and establish a system for ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
Transformational Leadership in the Investigation Process
The leadership style that can very strongly influence how we conduct this investigation and the way we treat the nurse at hand is the transformational leadership style. Models of transformative leadership focus on inspiring people to do something greater than they are doing or aspire to at that moment; critically, it engages people to sustain higher levels of performance and ethical behavior.
Application of Transformational Leadership
Inspirational Motivation
Communicating the vision about patient safety and quality care clearly to all levels of staff, emphasizing how this investigation aligns with our values and mission (Ytterstad & Olaisen, 2023).
Individualized Considerations
Demonstrate empathy and respect towards the nurse under investigation by considering her perspective and anything that may have caused her to do what she did.
Intellectual Stimulation
Provide opportunities for all team members, including the nurse in question, to engage in critical thinking around the incident and brainstorm creative ideas on how to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
Idealized Influence
Epitomize idealized influence character for the investigation exercise through examples of integrity, transparency, genuine concern, and fairness or judicious examination of facts (Ytterstad & Olaisen, 2023).
By applying transformational leadership principles, we can foster an environment that—during the most difficult of times—aids in bringing out staff and galvanizes the need for improvement. Allowing staff the freedom to speak more openly and honestly during an investigation may identify deeper system problems that need improvement beyond just this incident.
Finally, I want each of you to reflect on these attributes and how you can further weave them into your daily practice as we continue to work through this investigation and our ongoing leadership development. Our patients deserve the best possible care; in giving them this quality care, let us create a more supportive and growth-oriented workplace for our staff.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or problems you have regarding this matter or your role in the investigation process as a whole.
Sincerely,
[Name] Department Director
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2022). Leadership Response to a Sentinel Event: Respectful, Effective Crisis Management. Psnet.ahrq.gov. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/leadership-response-sentinel-event-respectful-effective-crisis-management
Patra, K. P., & De Jesus, O. (2023, March 29). Sentinel Event. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564388/
The Joint Commission. (2021). Sentinel Event Alert 57: The essential role of leadership in developing a safety culture | The Joint Commission. Www.jointcommission.org. https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/sentinel-event/sentinel-event-alert-newsletters/sentinel-event-alert-57-the-essential-role-of-leadership-in-developing-a-safety-culture#:~:text=Competent%20and%20thoughtful%20leaders%20contribute
Ytterstad, S., & Olaisen, J. (2023). Learning Transformational Leadership: A Pedagogical and Practical Perspective. Springer Nature.
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Question 
Competency
Evaluate leadership and management attributes that support critical decisions for nursing practice.
Leadership and Management Attributes
Scenario
You have recently started a position as a department director with five managers reporting to you. Earlier today, one of your managers reported that a client expired in 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 who 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.
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