Instructions:
Review the learning materials in Module 3. Once you've completed all the readings, reflect back on your Part A submission. In this essay, write in first person to critically reflect on the following key points:
Part B only · Referencing style must following CDU APA 7th Referencing Style 2022 with a minimum of 10 journal articles, studies, books or other literature to support your statements. For best marks, use references published within the last 5 to 7 years. You can use older literature, but consider that best practice is to support your work with current research. e.g. (Red & Yellow, 1998; Violet et al., 2022). Part B Due Date: 19/4/22, 22:29 ACST · Description: 1000 words essay · Instructions: Review the learning materials in Module 3. Once you've completed all the readings, reflect back on your Part A submission. In this essay, write in first person to critically reflect on the following key points: 1. Using the example of an effective nurse leader you described in Part A. Elaborate on the scenario, how did the leader show emotional intelligence? How did they communicate skillfully and respectfully? Did they show appreciation for the team member's skills or contributions? How did the leader work collaboratively to achieve the goal or facilitate the change in clinical practice? 2. Focus on critically reflecting and supporting your statements or concepts with literature. How did the nurse leader motivate their team members? Did they use any rewards as motivation? Which motivation theory do you think they demonstrated? 3. Motivation is often associated with empowerment. Critically describe how the nurse leader empowered the team members. Did they employ a feedback strategy? e.g. questionnaires, surveys, interviews. How were the results evaluated? 4. Did your example inspire you to be a certain type of leader? Describe what type of leader you want to be and identify at least one potential study, career and personal development goals that will assist with your leadership development MODULE 3 The process of nursing leadership In this module, you will engage with the following processes that characterise effective leadership in clinical workplaces: · developing teams · nurturing positive workplace cultures · motivating team members · empowering team members · developing emotional intelligence · enabling effective change Your study so far has been focused largely on the theoretical aspects of leadership. From this topic onwards, you will be introduced to a range of relevant practice applications. I suggest you develop a tool box of ideas and strategies that resonate with you and that you feel you could apply to your practice. Developing teams as the context of nursing leadership Teams are defined by the mutually agreeable efforts of its members towards achieving a common goal. Members are accountable to each other, and the achievements are a product of their interactions. Individual knowledge and skills and ideas are exchanged and harnessed in achieving outcomes. An important aspect of team behaviour is that of collaboration, which includes members knowledge of and respect for each others roles and backgrounds and capacity to contribute (Sullivan & Garland, 2013). Reflect on a work or other experience where you worked alongside other people. Did you (a) all have the same goal, and work collaboratively to achieve that goal? Or were you (b) co located, working at the same time and in the same space, but with different goals? In a 'nutshell', (a) represents the nature of a team and (b) represents the nature of a group. Leadership is considered vital for effective teamwork (Rosengarten, 2019). A leader enables optimum team function and progress toward goals. However, despite the 'rosy glow' that might be inferred from teamwork and team leadership, the task of developing an effective team, often from a 'group' can be challenging. Rosengarten (2019 ,p. 38) identifies the following characteristics of effective team leaders. Team leaders: · Think critically · Solve problems · Respect people · Communicate skillfully · Set goals · Share visions · Develop themselves and others · Appreciate team members’ skills · Understand team members’ knowledge · Engage all team members · Appreciate when another individual is better able to lead the team Teams form the immediate context of leadership in nursing. Your studies of culture, motivation, empowerment and change management will extend your understanding of effective team leadership in clinical care. Nurturing positive workplace cultures We will now turn to culture as a key concern of nurse leader work. Team culture can enable or constrain positive change in healthcare. Organisational culture has been described as “the shared values, principles, traditions and ways of doing things that influence the way organisational members act” (Robbins et. al., 2018, p. 83). In general terms, it is often referred to as ‘the way we do things around here’. The meaning of culture is complex, and defining culture in any given workplace is often a matter of perspective. However, for leaders to affect change, to motivate staff and to support forward progress of their work unit, an understanding of culture is imperative. Culture is manifested through values, behaviours and the use of artefacts. To deepen your understanding of culture, the following presentation of Shein’s (2017) 'Model of Culture' is recommended for viewing. Note the way the presenter demonstrates use of the model to analyse the culture of an organisation. While the examples given are not in healthcare, I recommend you draw links to your own practice area as you follow the analysis. Flixabout.com (2019, November 14). Edgar Schein’s culture model. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbBxwxZilY Schein’s model was also illustrated in this presentation by an analogy of an iceberg that places explicit evidence of culture (artefacts) at the topic of the iceberg (the visible part), but the bulk of the culture (values and assumptions) like an iceberg, hidden from sight. The implicit nature of culture that is depicted in this model suggests gaining familiarity with values and assumptions (hidden) may be something of a challenge, especially for outsiders, new workers or consumers. If you would like to read more about this model see: Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). Hoboken: Wiley. The nature of organistional culture can have a profound influence on the capacity of the organisation or workplace to accept change. Leaders can develop workplace cultures that are more innovative and receptive to change (Yukl, 2019), although, this is not a simple process. Stanley (2016) lists key strategies used by clinical leaders to affect cultural change. These ideas are based on the author's view of congruent leadership, where leader influence is based on follower perception of the congruence between leader values and actions. These ideas could be added to your toolbox. Stanley, D. (2016). Clinical leadership in nursing and healthcare: Values into action. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. pp. 116-117 Motivating team members Inherent in the leadership definition above is the leader’s influence on the team and its members. A brief explanation of motivation theory is helpful in understanding the dynamics of this influence. There are many theories of motivation in the literature, and no doubt you are familiar with Maslow’s (1943) 'Hierarchy of Needs', or Hertzberg’s (1964) 'Two Factor' theory. These theories present different perspectives on what motivates people especially in their work. The one that we will consider in further detail is Vroom’s (1964) 'Expectancy' theory which has continued to contribute to research about motivation at work. The following summary of key motivation theories outlines theories based inn meeting needs, and on the way that people are motivated. Do not be concerned with memorising these theories- this video really is a 'crash course'! But try to identify some of the key ideas in motivation theory that are relevant to leadership work. For example, setting goals, ensuring team members have a sense of equity in terms of reward and opportunity, or that their needs for self esteem are being met. Consider what motivates you, and what opportunities are available for you to motivate others. Remember that these are theories or ways of looking at work, and are not intended to be prescriptive. EPM (2020, October, 23).Motivation theories explained in ten minutes [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woa2Qa8i80U&t=191s What rewards can nurse leaders use to motivate other staff? Think back to the case that you described in Module 1. What strategies did the leader use to motivate team members? What motivates you? Understanding motivation is essential for leadership, as leaders are tasked with the job of influencing the collective effort to achieve patient- centred care. Empowering team members Associated with motivation, is empowerment of team members. An extensive body of research has emerged over recent years in relation to empowerment. This is a far cry from the early part of last century when worker welfare was largely ignored or related primarily to payment of wages. Empowerment is also 'missing' from some of the theories we have explored in this unit. Staff empowerment has been associated with retention in particular in relation to nursing work (Read & Laschinger, 2015). Empowerment is generally considered a positive attribute of a team or workplace. Two forms of empowerment are commonly referred to in the nursing literature. Structural empowerment views practices, policies and structures that are inherent in organisational hierarchies as disempowering, as they support power in a small group at the top. Empowerment involves changing these arrangements so that power can be more evenly spread (Kanter, 1977). Psychological empowerment refers to individual perceptions or beliefs about power, and to their intrinsic motivation and sense of self determination. Psychological empowerment in nursing is the perception that the work undertaken is valued. This precipitates a sense of autonomy and efficacy in influencing workplace activities (Knol & Van Linge, 2009). Critics argue that structural and psychological power concepts positions individuals as recipients of power, that is, the organisation or leader acts to give them power, and the individual a passive recipient. An alternative view has been articulated by Woodward (2019) who defines an empowered nurse as “one who has the ability to choose and perform allowable actions and direct his/her own growth in the desired manner” .(p. 142) and recommends; “we can work as a profession to ensure that the educational preparation, on‐the‐job training, and ongoing mentorship and support are focused on providing individual nurses the tools to set their own goals, practice with autonomy, remain engaged with the aspect of nursing they feel most passionate about, and exert influence on their colleagues, organizations, and communities.”(p. 142) Implications for team leaders then include, rather than handing out power through team roles, supporting team members to become autonomous in their own engagement and efficacious in their capabilities and ability to make change. The following paper presents an in depth discussion on empowerment in nursing. This is an important concept that has implications for nursing, nursing leadership and professionalism. Read: Woodward (2020) What experiences have you had where you either felt empowered, empowered someone else, or felt disempowered? Post your thoughts in the Student Activity Discussion Board The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) has also been given emphasis as vital characteristic of effective workplace relationships, and has particular relevance to leadership in nursing. Emotional intelligence has been defined as: "the ability to monitor one's own and other's feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions" (Salovey & Mayer 1990, p. 190). Wang et al. (2018) report an association between transformational leadership in nursing and the development of emotional intelligence, as a precursor for nurse retention. This reading is comprehensive in its explanation of the relationship between EI and nursing leadership. You will be familiar with the theoretical ideas that support the author's arguments. Wang, L., Tao, H., Bowers, B. J., Brown, R., & Zhang, Y. (2018). When nurse emotional intelligence matters: How transformational leadership influences intent to stay. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(4), 358-365. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12509 In this section you have explored a number of characteristics of leadership practice. There are other factors that characterise good leadership practice including use of evidence, collaborative decision making, effective communication and stimulating intellectual engagement and learning. You have engaged with these topics in previous subjects and so they will not be repeated here. However, you may research these ideas out of interest or as part of your preparation for your assessments. We now turn to change management and leadership, building on your previous learning. It's important to understand the meaning of change and how it can be enacted in healthcare workplaces, so that aims are achieved and are able to be sustained. In Module 2 you were introduced to the nature of the health care environment, and of the factors that influenced change in clinical workplaces. Adaptation to new technologies and policies as well internal unit arrangements is part of the change equation. The other part is the planned change that nurses initiate and lead to advance nursing care and patient health. This type of change is dependent on innovation, creativity and critical and original thought. To begin your study of this important topic, please download the following chapter. This reading has been chosen for its currency and excellent use of case studies to support your understanding of relevant theoretical concepts. Read the first section of Beauvais and Spahn (2019) under 'innovation' and complete the quiz. Note the examples of innovation provided are simple examples of changes that are embedded in everyday practice. Be sure to develop definitions for the following key concepts: innovation, creativity and critical thinking. Have you ever had (or do you have) an innovative idea? What factors promote the success of your idea? What factors inhibit the success of your idea? Does your innovation possess characteristics that would foster its implementation (provides a benefit, simple, easy, inexpensive, etc.)? Post your thoughts on the Student Activity Discussion Board. Continue reading through the