Leadership for me is like an abyss, a never-ending pit of discovery influenced by knowledge, behavior, principles and motivation. And in my quest to dive further to the deepest part of it, I have encountered how it is to internalize the eccentricity of a leader – what it is, and what it is not. The role of a leader has diversity, it is never merely limited to only one field of science, and it continues to grow. It exists in professions, occupations, and even in the most basic unit of our society which is the family.
In the healthcare setting, particularly in Nursing, I believe that the expanded role of a Clinical Nurse Leader provides support for achieving the optimum process in delivering healthcare services; thus increasing the productivity of the staff, improving cost-management, reducing risks on medical errors, and most importantly – ensuring patient satisfaction. For this reason, I chose Clinical Nurse Leadership (CNL) as the topic of my dissertation. I believe that a further intensive study on this subject will illuminate the significance of CNL and increase its utilization in all healthcare settings but with emphasis on acute care.
“I am a leader. No any other person can tell me that I am otherwise, because I believe in myself as one; and I consider this conviction to rest not on me alone. I must radiate this thinking to my followers as well, that they too may embrace my path towards a common goal. ” In the context of my nature as a leader, mainly on my approach, qualities, and practices, the aforementioned statement is my core principle. In terms of approach, I am in favor with transformational leadership.
According to Kozier & Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing, “The leader inspires others with a clear, attractive, and attainable goal and enlists them to participate in attaining the goal. ” Indeed, as a military nurse assigned to make sure that my team delivers the best care possible, I treat each and every one of my colleagues as an asset, because their experience and expertise are as important as oxygen to human cells; and in our quest to achieve excellence in practice, I always motivate them to explore their capabilities as well as define their work values.
As for my qualities, I must say that I am detailed, disciplined and prepared. I do not come to any battle without an arsenal. During meetings, I always foresee the elements to be discussed and arguments to be resolved. I put attention to details and I am strict on polices. Of course, a leader has to be both effective and efficient, because we are dealing with not just any ordinary commodity or service – we are dealing with our patients’ precious lives. It may sound as if complicated because I adopt a people-based approach but have a strict quality; well, this is something very unique of me as a leader.
I believe that being rigid does not necessarily equate to being rude. I respect my subordinates, and if I may, I even hesitate to call them as such. I wish to call my staff as “teammates”, because we work together to achieve a common goal. In my type of healthcare setting, critical thinking is very important. Time is precious and the nurse leader must be vigilant. In terms of practices, I believe that consistency is very important. My actions, principles and decisions should be always congruent to the goals of the team as a whole.
Again, this is in relation to being a transformational leader. In order to effect change, I must lead by example. That’s why in every shift, I make sure that my mindset is fastened to attain but one goal – to deliver the most ideal care to our patients. With all of these testaments, I strongly consider CNL as an essential component on improving the quality of care given to the patients. With the right kind of leaders, the attainment of this optimum goal is possible. I have a strong will in my heart to really pursue this cause – to improve the CNL utilization in the healthcare arena.
Definitely, even a thousand words are not enough to describe how diverse, active and multi-faceted is the word – leadership. Over the ages, there has been so much revealed by brilliant minds about this concept, but still, its core essence and nature proves to be fathomless. Nevertheless, vast as it may seem, its broadness has failed to dishearten the attempts of my soul to understand it. I’m quite positive that its real meaning truly lies on how each person perceives it.
References Berman, A. , Erb, G. , Kozier, B. , & Snyder, S. (2007). Kozier & Erb’s fundamentals of nursing (8th ed. ). Pearson Education, Inc.