Introduction
Self-reflective practice is a critical aspect that helps to develop leadership competencies needed by nurses. Reflection helps nurses learn from their experiences and search for ways to improve future performance. This offers insights into an individual’s weaknesses, strengths, and actions required to be executed to effectively and efficiently complete the allocated activities. An effective nurse leader utilizes reflective tests to improve his or her competencies and reduce the effects of their weaknesses. Hence, nurse leaders should engage in tasks that can develop their leadership competencies and knowledge. This essay discusses a rationale and summary of each self-assessment. In addition, this essay identifies a leadership style and explains its application in nursing practice and areas for enhancement as per the self-assessment outcomes.
Rationale and each Self-Assessment Summary
A nurse leader has the responsibility of guaranteeing patient care is tackled properly. The responsibility is important in providing health services to patients; hence, one should have different leadership competencies to effectively and efficiently lead in the nursing setting. A self-reflection has demonstrated that I have perfect nursing leadership qualities. My self-assessment was directed by involving the VARK questionnaire, the Big 5 personality test, and the values profile assessment. All the tools presented varied results but highlighted the bottom line of my unique nursing leadership competencies (Al-Dossary, 2017). The rationale for using these tools was to ensure that I have different leadership qualities. This will help me on how to best improve these leadership qualities to become a good leader in the nursing environment.
The VARK questionnaire classified me as a very strong kinesthetic learner. This outcome implies that I have a high capability of management and good time management. This quality will work a great deal in the nursing leadership role to ensure the needs of health workers and patients are addressed properly, satisfying all parties engaged. Having unique coordination abilities increases interdependent work performance; thus, this competency will promote the entire healthcare environment. Besides, the Big 5 personality test demonstrated that I am an extrovert. The outcome implies that I can correlate with healthcare employees and patients easily, which can be a way of sensing an anomaly and handling it immediately (Alvinius, 2017). The value profile assessment showed that dominant values define my personality, which comprises caring, followed by social values, aesthetic values, realistic values, theoretical values, traditional values, and lastly, political values. These qualities will be of great benefit in listening to health employees’ needs and dealing with patients (Weberg et al., 2018). In addition, the results show that I can bargain for ideal policies and negotiate favorable terms for all stakeholders in healthcare.
Leadership Style
The participative leadership style is one of the leadership styles that align with my nursing philosophy of care. This typical leadership style centers on workers’ input in the process of decision-making. The leadership and management of the organization ensure that worker input is involved in the process of decision-making (Alvinius, 2017). Workers and top management share ideas concerning what to achieve in the company. The participative leadership style is aligned with nursing philosophy, as I believe nursing needs to be participative. Nurses need to concentrate on ensuring that shared resolution making is supported in their healthcare ecosystem (Weberg et al., 2018). Patients need to play a critical role in the determination of the path of care they require.
Furthermore, other medical team members must participate in the examination, planning, execution, monitoring, and assessment of care. Hence, the active involvement of all stakeholders is projected to generate outcomes, for example, healthcare providers and patients being satisfied with the care provided and reducing adverse effects in the medical ecosystem. Participative leadership focuses on the active involvement of all stakeholders in care delivery. It appreciates that people have divergent perspectives on how to address organizational matters; thus, diversity needs to be integrated into the decision-making process (Huber & Joseph, 2021). Participative leadership style minimizes resistance to change in an organization because it guarantees affected persons understand the changes and interventions they need to accept. Nurse leaders who adopt a participative leadership style need to understand that the style may boost the association between different participants, mostly the association between leaders and their followers (Alvinius, 2017). When workers engage in decision-making and other vital perspectives, they feel valued and may contribute positive effects to the organization.
Reflection
As a nurse leader, I will integrate aspects of the participative leadership style into my nursing practice in different ways. I can use this style to encourage patient-centered care in healthcare service delivery. Besides, I may ensure the prioritization of patient views on how to fulfill healthcare needs. In addition, I can support patients to actively engage in decision-making. Being a nurse leader, I shall support the utilization of joint resolution making under my leadership because it will improve patient satisfaction with the care given. Further, I will seek the views of other nurses on how this strategy can be executed. I will have to engage them in planning, assessing, executing, monitoring, and evaluating change initiatives in the healthcare facility. Additionally, I can develop a working ecosystem in which open communication is the norm. Open communication can support workers to articulate their feelings, concerns, and thoughts without any fear of intimidation. Therefore, I hope to transform nursing practice in the healthcare facility I work with in the future through these interventions.
Improvement Areas
Learning style is one of the areas I should improve. I should learn how to utilize different styles to maximize my learning and improve my understanding of concepts learned in clinical settings and the classroom. In addition, I should learn more about how to manage my feelings when making resolutions. Further, the assessment reveals that I must pay attention to situational reality and not my subjective emotions about them. Again, I should focus on ensuring that I become more confident in leadership other than in turmoil. Being an assertive leader will encourage me to finish most of the projects I manage in an anticipated way. Lastly, I must further explore how to utilize my comprehension of people’s feelings to complete organizational activities effectively. I should understand how to encourage them and influence them to achieve the expected goals of the healthcare facility.
Furthermore, these weaknesses in my leadership capacity may be enhanced through some steps. At first, I need to solve the issues that need situational awareness development, which can permit me to visualize the bigger picture; hence, I expect challenges before they do happen. Additionally, I should keep learning; this will support me in addressing emotional challenges and other circumstances properly (Weberg et al., 2018). Lastly, I have to develop discernment abilities to solve some of the issues affecting the younger generation.
Conclusion
Leadership is a critical competency that determines the capability of a nurse leader to influence others. A nurse leader must understand their emotional intelligence, personalities, leadership styles, learning, and values for him, or her to lead others successfully. A leader needs to understand how to incorporate his or her professional and personal experience into his or her leadership to successfully complete organizational work. Hence, a nurse leader should understand his or her weaknesses and strengths to engage in activities that maximize current organizational opportunities. Self-awareness support leaders in comprehending how to offer effective guidance to their followers.
References
Al-Dossary, R. N. (2017). Leadership in nursing. Contemporary Leadership Challenges, 9(3), 1-18. Web.
Alvinius, A. (2017). Contemporary leadership challenges (3rd ed.). BoD – Books on Demand.
Huber, D., & Joseph, M. L. (2021). Leadership and nursing care management – E-book (2nd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Weberg, D., Porter-O’Grady, T., Mangold, K., & Malloch, K. (2018). Leadership in nursing practice (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
