Answer

Leading and Managing Others in Nursing

Clinical nurse leaders are regularly answerable for keeping their separate divisions coordinated in their endeavours to accomplish successful quality care results. As such, they should be well prepared with leadership abilities which can be paired with useful nursing abilities to enable them to settle on best options (Otto, 2018). By combining basic leadership styles into their professional techniques, nurse leaders can be able to effectively manage healthcare programs, make use of effective methods, and even use managerial approaches within their work environments (Peate, 2019). For nurse leaders, it is always reasonable to embrace leadership styles that will be suited to their daily roles and activities. Therefore, to improve their ability to adapt to various nursing situations, it is imperative that nurse leaders understand which distinctive leadership styles exist, and when they can be employed to trigger the required outcomes.

Use of Leadership Styles to Achieve Quality Care

            Various leadership styles have been developed to help with changing needs of the nursing work environment. Employees have a preference for specific leadership styles which they believe will assist them in experiencing satisfaction. Leadership in nursing is significant for following advancements and adjusting to present circumstances. The nurses who are collaborating with other healthcare professionals within such care facilities are an important part of leadership (Keogh et al., 2019). Since patient safety and care revolve around nursing, it is evident that it is indeed a profession that must be centred on patients. Hence, leadership is a must have skill for all nurse professionals at various departments.

            It is because of such factors that leadership styles employed by nurse leaders are perceived to be quite essential for determining how comfortable employees will be at the workplace. That is why there is an increasing need of professionals who have these leadership skills (Nickitas, 2019). Several leadership styles can be used by nurses to help in achieving quality care.

Autocratic Leadership

            Autocratic leadership is an example of a leadership style that nurse leaders can use to achieve quality care. These autocratic leaders are characterized as those who are mainly dominant, and will work by giving give orders rather than considering input from others (Nurmeksela et al., 2021). He or she will demand total submission and dedication from employees. The team members are only allowed to do what the leader commands, and follow the approach that is given. Such leadership is ideal in crises since the nurse leader will take all choices personally without considering the input of other nurses in his team (Velmurugan, 2017). Unfortunately, this may not be the best approach when trying to educate followers. That is because the leader will always try to keep information from the followers to prevent them from having the power to make their own decisions (Unsworth, Melling, & Porteous, 2021). In addition, any mistakes made are often met with severe consequences. However, when an employee performs outstandingly, he or she is awarded by the leader.

            In a team of nurses, such leadership cannot be effective on its own. That is because it never considers the input of others since the leader will make all decisions personally. Leaders tend to use their power to force these decisions on the team even when the members may have a varying view (Paola et al., 2020). This usually strains the relationship between the team members and their leader. However, when the team is faced with a medical dilemma, such leadership is the best as it helps in reaching a decision.

            This leadership style is important for nurse leaders since it helps in delegating tasks and analysing outcome as required. Nurses will have an understanding that failure to follow through with the directives given to them will lead to specific consequences (Nurmeksela et al., 2021). Hence, the chances of failing to follow any delegations made by the leader will be very low. Unfortunately, this approach alone will also trigger a lot of resistance from the team, which is why other approaches are also needed.

Laissez-faire leadership

            The style of authority perceiving full opportunity is alluded to as laissez-faire and is communicated as freedom to act as one pleases. This sort of a leader exhorts the cycle by not taking an interest all the while, urges devotees to create thoughts, proposes ideas when asked by supporters, and announces assessments (Paola et al., 2020). Leadership that gives full freedom means that the employees will not be given any orders or be controlled in any way (Nurmeksela et al., 2021). However, the leader’s main role is to provide the employees with the necessary resources to perform their roles. After that, the decision making is left to the team of nurses, as long as they do what they know is right based on the resources given (Breevaart, & Zacher, 2019). Frequently, the leader will offer feedbacks regarding specific issues without restricting the actions of followers. This approach, therefore, is the best to use among a team of nurses since it gives them the opportunity to make their own choices and ask for assistance where needed.

            This leadership style is also responsive, especially when there is an emergency. The leader is able to give insight and work together with the employees to reach a given decision (Tam, Burns & Barnes, 2021). The leaders leave the adherents all alone, while the followers do what they believe is right. Followers are prepared to track down the best answer for their issues (Keogh et al., 2019). At whatever point he or she sees it essential, an individual can shape a gathering with whom he or she needs to take care of issues, attempt novel thoughts, and settle on the choices that he or she believes are generally fitting for him or her (Cope & Murray, 2017).

            There are benefits and setbacks of this leadership style that offers complete freedom to team members. In nursing, the main positive part of this leadership style is the assurance and execution of the objectives, plans, and strategies of workers or individuals from the association, and it prepares the innovativeness of every part or representative (Paola et al., 2020). This is why it is important when the nurse leader wants to teach the team members. The second sure viewpoint is that employees are propelled to prepare themselves and track down the most proper answer for the issues. At the point when the individual considers it significant, he or she makes a gathering with individuals he or she needs, tackles the issues, attempts ground-breaking thoughts, and arrives at the most proper choices (Nurmeksela et al., 2021). Therefore, nurses are charged with the task of actively searching for solutions, thereby promoting learning in the process. The negative parts of this leadership are the rise of unrest inside the association and the way that everybody prompts the objectives he or she needs and even toward contradicting targets. Another weakness is the critical decline in hierarchical achievement, free of individual accomplishments.

Instrumental Leadership

            Instrumental leadership centres on picking a fitting procedure alongside proper resources to accomplish business objectives. It is essential for effective organizational performance.  This style is an essential part of the range of transformational leadership styles. An instrumental leader can be a successful director since he or she guarantees proficiency protection. Subsequently, tasks are finished in accordance with the resources, key vision, and time requirements of the healthcare facility (Nurmeksela et al., 2021). For current leadership approaches, the technique and assignment-centred formative elements of the leaders are not considered. Nonetheless, strategy and task-centred capacities are fundamental for associations and adherents to ensure effective performance.

            This leadership depends on neither goals nor trade connections. It incorporates guaranteeing agreement between the facility and the environment, creating systems, planning assignment and technique tables, utilizing resources successfully, and giving execution criticism. The most conspicuous element of this approach is the assurance of the followers’ way by the leader (Tam, Burns & Barnes, 2021). The instrumental leader is predominantly worried about the opportune culmination of the business related to the ideal objective. It centres on capacities like defining objectives, arranging bunch individuals, setting up the correspondence framework, and deciding business related occasions. It is evident that instrumental and intuitive authority have a measurably critical and beneficial outcome on work fulfilment and authoritative responsibility.

            In nursing, there is a need to consider approaches that will make good use of available resources, while still leading to effective quality care. Quality standards can only be achieved if the nurse leader ensures that all requirements are adhered to, and that nurses are presented with the necessary resources (Paola et al., 2020). Instrumental leadership style is quite important for nurse leaders, as it helps them to plan effectively so that the expected outcomes can also be achieved.

RN Standards of Practice

            There are seven registered nurse standards for practice. When offering patient care, the nurse is expected to think critically and analyse their own practice to ensure it is in line with what is required for the overall patient outcomes (“New Rn Standards for Practice Released,” 2016). Second, the nurse must always engage in therapeutic and professional relationships when dealing with patients. Third, the nurse is always expected to maintain the right capability for practice. Fourth, comprehensive assessments must always be conducted on all patients. Fifth, a plan for nursing practice must be developed and kept up to date at all times (“New Rn Standards for Practice Released,” 2016). Sixth, nursing practice must always be safe, appropriate, and responsive to ensues patient satisfaction is improved. Lastly, there is a need to evaluate the patient outcomes to enable a development of recommendations for future nursing practice (Cashin et al., 2017).

            All the above standards of nursing relate to the NSQHS standards 2, 3 and 6. The NSQHS standard 2 deals with partnering with consumers (Porter, 2012). Nurses are expected to partner with consumers and the carers of the patients to design how care will be delivered in order to fully meet their needs and preferences. Standard 3 focuses on preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections (Porter, 2012). Clinical leaders of a healthcare organization are expected to implement systems which will promote the prevention and management of the healthcare associated infections to gain appropriate patient outcomes (Chehab et al., 2018).  Standard 6 highlights issues related to clinical handover (Porter, 2012). Leadership is important when handing over in the clinical setting (“New Rn Standards for Practice Released,” 2016). When a system has been established, the process will be done in such a way that relevant information will be considered to prevent any errors.

            Therefore, it is clear that nursing practice is governed by the leadership activities that nurse leaders will engage in (Paola et al., 2020). They will ensure that all areas where errors may occur, or mistakes may happen that may lead to legal impacts on the hospital, are dealt with beforehand. It is clear that the best quality care can only be offered if the nurses know what it is that the patients prefer. Therefore, leadership will play an important role in establishing a system which nurses will follow for guidance.

Conclusion

            Leadership in nursing is important because it ensures that quality care can be achieved. That is because of how it focuses on patients, and creates frameworks which nurses rely on. Nurse leaders need leadership styles such as autocratic, laissez faire and even instrumental in order to be able to lead and educate the team. These will enable the leader to offer guidance, and lead the employees towards the expected organizational goal. Nurse leaders must be able to employ the right leadership style in specific situations to help in achieving the expected quality outcome.