Mentorship

In these times of rapid change in healthcare, there is an increasing demand on nurses to effect change themselves, through effective leadership. The environment of palliative care is evolving as a result of such factors as government policies, advances in medical technology, an increasingly elderly population and the rise of chronic sickness. Another important factor is a more knowledgeable and demanding public. Nurses are no longer expected ‘just’ to focus on the here and now, and co-ordinate day-to-day activities. They are also exhorted to be innovative, creative and able to inspire others into accepting their own organization’s vision in providing an excellent patient service. Nursing needs leadership that encourages a collective opinion about what the nursing issues are in health care from a variety of individuals at all levels. Rather than separating a nurse manager from her/his fellow professionals we need to develop a culture which unites them (Castledine, 2004)

CAROLE MULA nursing leadership in palliative care International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2003, Vol 9, No 2

Interprofessional working
One of the key trends to emerge in health care is the emphasis on working together in multiprofessional teams. Sometimes referred to as patient focused care, patient-centred care, or interprofessional pathway planning, the aim is the provision of care for one or more patients/clients by a group of healthcare providers (Castledine, 2004)

Teamwork has been defined as a set of people working together to achieve a common goal (Lawton et al 2000). In health care that common goal is defined as high quality, individualised care (DoH 1999b). It appears that many factors lead to enhanced team performance, of which is underpinned by team leadership. Leadership according to Swansberg & Swansberg (1999) is the relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people. Furthermore, Almio-Metcalf (1996) suggests that adopting a