NR 504 Week 2 Discussion – Peer Engagement Forum

As a young nurse who had just started my career in the Operating Room, I encountered a Director of Nursing who came to our department shortly after I arrived there. In hindsight, I can see that the leadership had been very hands-off and laissez-faire, and as a result, there was a lack of focus structure and forward-thinking in the department as a whole. Our new director, whose name was Laura, arrived about six months into my surgical career, and I can honestly say she had a tremendous impact on my decision to stay, as well as my decision to pursue my higher education.

After reading the Chamberlain College of Nursing (CCN) Conceptual Framework of Nursing, I can relate several of the concepts to Laura’s approach to leadership. She was holistic in her approach and commanded the patient-centered, care-focused practice of her staff. She personally exercised cultural humility and professionalism in her identity as a leader and pushed each of us to expand our boundaries and horizons each and every day (Chamberlain University, 2020). She did this through her behaviors and communications, several of which are mentioned by Whitehead et al. (2017) as being trademarks of effective leaders. She always had a slight smile at the corner of her eyes, she was open and approachable, and she never seemed rushed or too busy. If she was not able to speak with you when you popped into her office, she would not let you leave without a definite date and time for you to return. Laura always communicated clear expectations and goals and set the bar high, both for individuals and the department as a whole. She supported and encouraged education, and it was this leader that showed me the relationship between advanced nursing education and nursing being seen as a profession. She is the one who pushed me to start working on my BSN and made a daunting task seem doable. She exhibited and expected accountability for behaviors and decisions; however, she was respectful, altruistic, and self-effacing. When it was time to hold someone accountable for their actions or decisions, she always made it seem like she was coaching and mentoring you, which inspired you to do better. If you went to her with a complaint or a concern, she always asked what your suggestion for a solution was, and if you didn’t have one, she would ask you to take a day or two and think about it, then come back to her so we could continue to problem solve. She was a very authentic, willing, supportive mentor; she developed trust by being knowledgeable, open, confident yet humble and accepting and respectful. She developed trust by maintaining confidentiality, focusing on facts and data as opposed to hearsay, and challenging and pushing us to grow and develop and supporting us when we stumbled; she was always helpful and encouraging and never made us feel inferior for our stumbles. She inspired teamwork not just by her words but by her actions; it was not uncommon to see her in scrubs in a room dealing with a surgeon, a problem, helping turnover, or helping out in any way she could. She was a transformational leader with a very authentic approach. I very quickly developed a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for her.

NR 504 Week 2 Discussion – Peer Engagement Forum

At this point, I’m on the educator track of the MSN program. I strive to become the leader that I saw in Laura. I believe the transformational style with an authentic approach will be effective, not just in an educational setting but in the clinical management position I am currently in. This style will help inspire trust and confidence and will inspire others to deliver quality in their performance. It will help create buy-in when I need to initiate or implement a change, but will also stimulate creativity in others to seek alternative ways to deliver care, think outside the box, and challenge them to improve processes to improve the quality of care we deliver to our customers.

References

Whitehead, D., Dittman, P. W., & McNulty, D. (2017). Leadership and the advanced practice nurse: The future of a changing health-care environment. F. A. Davis Company.

Chamberlain University. (2020). CCN Academic Catalog pdf, pages 16- 18: https://www.chamberlain.edu/docs/default-source/academics-admissions/catalog.pdf

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Question

NR 504 Week 2 Discussion – Peer Engagement Forum

Reflect upon a leader who impacted your practice:

How was this person an effective leader?

What leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) did the person possess within the Chamberlain College of Nursing Conceptual Framework?

How did they impact others?

Discuss the significance of leadership competencies and personal leadership style related to your future MSN role and specialty track and how this may contribute to your growth as a leader.