Effective Approaches In Leadership And Management
As the patient population ages, there is a greater demand for nurses in all healthcare facilities. Furthermore, with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a large number of new patients are seeking health care. Despite the fact that the demand for nurses has increased, there is still a nursing shortage and a decline in nurse retention rates across the United States. This paper will discuss effective leadership and management approaches to nursing shortages and turnover rates.
Nursing shortages are one of the most pressing issues confronting health care today, according to the article The Relationship Between Effective Nurse Managers and Nursing Retention (Force, 2005). The estimated shortage of nurses by 2020 would rise to 340,000 positions. The acuity required for hospitals today necessitates the presence of dependable nurses who are highly trained in their respective nursing fields. There is a nurse shortage, and hospitals do not have enough nurses to meet the medical needs of all patients. Furthermore, the high turnover rates make it difficult to ensure that all nurses are properly trained. Because of the shortage as well as the high turnover rates, younger, inexperienced nurses are being forced to assume senior nursing responsibilities earlier than usual. This eventually leads to nurse burnout, which contributes to the rising turnover rate.
The aging nurse population, decreased nursing school enrollment rates, increased workloads, poor nurse staffing ratios, and increased patient acuity are some of the reasons for high turnover rates and nursing shortages. Retention reflects leadership styles; nurses leave their jobs because of the managers, not the hospital (Ribelin, 2003). Poor nursing leadership and management reduce opportunities for advancement, reduce teamwork, and increase poor communication. All of these factors contribute to the high nursing turnover rates.
Nursing managers and nursing leaders take different approaches to nursing shortages and turnover rates. The differences in approaches are due to the different roles that these positions play. According to the textbook, Leadership, and Nursing Care Management, the organization gives the nurse manager authority to manage the staff in order to achieve the organization’s goals (Huber, 2014). Nursing managers are concerned with meeting short-term objectives, completing objectives, managing time, and increasing productivity. Their goals are consistent with the organization’s missions, goals, and policies. Nurse managers place a premium on efficiency, meeting deadlines, managing budgets, and providing a stable work environment for their employees. Because the nurse manager prioritized the efficiency of a nurse’s work above all else, the nurse could only be viewed as a number on the floor’s statistics. Nurse managers can help reduce turnover rates by being present and attentive to the needs of their nurses.
Nurse managers can address the nursing staff’s needs by assisting with flexible scheduling, staffing an adequate amount of nurses, and supplying the unit with the necessary equipment. They can go above and beyond by assisting nursing staff members in furthering their education and careers through educational reimbursements and incentives. Nurse managers can improve staff retention and satisfaction by ensuring the personal and professional needs of their nursing staff are met. While nurse managers can directly address the turnover rates, the nursing shortage is a harder issue to tackle. Due to a nursing shortage, the nurse manager is unable to hire nurses who do not exist. To support the dwindling nursing population, the federal government must increase education funding for nursing programs. This additional funding will result in more programs and seats becoming available in colleges across the country.
Nursing leadership, on the other hand, approaches nursing turnover rates and shortages on a more personal rather than a systematic level. Nursing leaders influence staff by using effective communication, fostering trust and teamwork, and representing the organization’s visions through the nurse manager’s goals. Nurse leaders should mentor, motivate, and inspire their teams to achieve the unit’s objectives. They look for creative ways to achieve the unit’s goals and are flexible to the staff’s needs. Leadership: A Key Strategy in Staff Nursing according to the article, Staff retention is dependent on effective and efficient leadership (Kleinman, 2004). Because the nursing leadership is in tune with the needs of the nursing staff and has influence over the staff, the nursing staff will value and support the leader. As previously stated, most nurses prioritize the staff with whom they work over the patient’s acuity. Great nursing leaders can influence a nurse’s decision to stay with a unit.
The personal and professional philosophy of the author is most compatible with the nursing management approach. The writer believes it is possible to portray the nursing leader’s qualities while being an efficient nursing manager. The writer valued an adequately staffed and equipped unit more than encouraging the unit to achieve the organization’s goals. While addressing the staff’s personal needs is important, addressing the staff’s professional needs can provide a positive workplace and increase staff retention rates. The nurse manager can be a nurse leader who the staff values and supports by persuading the organization to provide additional support for the unit. Working as a team will be easier once the staff supports the nurse manager. When a group of people can share a vision and work together to achieve that vision, success is only a matter of time. This will result in increased productivity, impressed organizations, and additional funding for the unit.
While nursing shortages and turnover rates are ongoing, never-ending issues, nursing managers and leaders must collaborate to address the shortages and turnover rates. Even though the approaches of a nurse manager and a nurse leader differ, both are required to achieve the goals of the healthcare organization. Staff turnover rates can be reduced by strong leadership and management, but this will be difficult given the nurse shortage. The nurse shortage issue would not be addressed and would continue to be a problem if the government did not support it.
Reference:
Force, M. (2005). The Relationship Between Effective Nurse Managers and Nursing Retention. JONA: The Journal Of Nursing Administration, 35(7), 336??? 341. doi: 10.1097/00005110-200507000-00005
Huber, D. (2014). Leadership and Nursing Care Management. [Pageburstls]. Retrieved from https://pageburstls.elsevier.com/#/books/9781416059844/
Ribelin, P. (2003). Retention reflects leadership style. Nursing Management (Springhouse), 34(8), 18-19. doi: 10.1097/00006247-200308000-00008
S Kleinman, C. (2004). Leadership: A Key Strategy in Staff Nurse Retention. The Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 35(3), 128-132. doi: 10.3928/0022-0124-20040501-09
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Question 
In this assignment, you will be writing a 1,000-1,250 word paper describing the differing approaches of nursing leaders and managers to issues in practice. To complete this assignment, do the following:
Select an issue from the following list: bullying, unit closers and restructuring, floating, nurse turnover, nurse staffing ratios, use of contract employees (i.e., registry and travel nurses), or magnet designation.
Effective Approaches In Leadership And Management
Describe the selected issue. Discuss how it impacts the quality of care and patient safety in the setting in which it occurs.
Discuss how professional standards of practice should be demonstrated in this situation to help rectify the issue or maintain a professional conduct.
Explain the differing roles of nursing leaders and nursing managers in this instance and discuss the different approaches they take to address the selected issue and promote patient safety and quality care. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings.
Discuss what additional aspects managers and leaders would need to initiate in order to ensure professionalism throughout diverse healthcare settings while addressing the selected issue.
Describe a leadership style that would best address the chosen issue. Explain why this style could be successful in this setting.
Use at least three peer-reviewed journal articles other than those presented in your text or provided in the course.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.