Nurse Leader Rounding

The second area of weakness is noted in establishing balance in the transformational dimension of inspirational motivation. This is particularly challenging when seeking to communicate updates to evidence based practice that informs how the team collectively pursues its mission together, yet our team works shifts that are rotating 12 hours and there are a variety of role levels and educational preparations. I struggle to strike the correct balance to have personal proximity and yet keep the messaging applicable to as many roles as possible. Deciding which mechanisms of communication are most effective to reach more than 60 team members is complicated. Specifically, inviting team members to a group meeting to communicate and motivate them when
there are not budgeted funds to hold this meeting, nor a single date and time that is widely convenient to promote adequate attendance. Occasionally, the most efficient forum of email communications for updates is selected so that basic information is distributed yet inspirational motivation may suffer as a result.
The third area of weakness in my leadership practice per the full range leadership theory is found in the transactional dimension of contingent reward when considering the missed opportunity to more routinely recognize team members based on the positive comments made by the patients. This is resultant from the daily nurse leadership rounding process not yet having been activated as a formal effort to be hardwired into daily operations. The benefits of this practice include not only patient and team member proximity and recognition which develops long term trust, it eventually begins to offset the number of patient grievance occurrences as it increases the chance that I will be able to direct the team to address simple concerns in real-time to avert small issues or delays from accumulating.

In response to the weaknesses reviewed above, there are some key recommendations from the same dimensions of the full range leadership theory.
Foremost, the dimension of contingent rewards could be improved by adhering to the recommendation of daily nurse leader rounding as discussed. A specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goal for this area would be to conduct daily nurse leader rounds on 90% of eligible patients on the unit by March 15th. This would be considered realistic and attainable if I take the primary action to develop Outlook calendar segmentation to protect time daily for this activity and the secondary step of training additional nursing leaders on the unit to contribute to the daily rounding activities. Lastly, I need to take action to implement a shared tool to promote equal participation for daily nurse leader rounding and the ability to measure success according to the target set of 90% of eligible
patients.
The second recommendation to promote success in managing organization and leading the team going forward is also in the dimension of contingent rewards.
Specifically undertaking budget advocacy efforts to increase the budgeted funds allotted in the upcoming fiscal year to be administered by the unit-based council leaders for reward to those who engage in unit projects. For example, being able to allot funds to send an engaged team member to a requested conference. A SMART goal that directly addresses this recommendation is the target of completing two focused nursing department specific budget training courses by the second week of March. This goal is realistic and attainable if I take the primary action to submit my electronic registration for the courses by March 1st. This would allow for requisite knowledge and budgeted funds to promote a healthy contingent rewards system that involved the unit based council
leaders.
The third and final recommendation based on the full range leadership theory addresses the dimension of inspirational motivation as it relates to developing leadership from within the team via succession planning that is overtly known and supported with a shared book of knowledge or competency for unit level leadership in the role of nurse manager. Initial actions will be directed at the nursing team members already serving as preceptors or trainers. Approvals and establishments of project timelines and strategic goals will be required from the director of critical care nursing area.
After reviewing articles and literature regarding leadership theory, discussing strengths and weaknesses noted based on the full range leadership theory I am confident that I will be able to undertake efforts to address the three recommendations and initiate the supporting SMART goals in the overview above. As an expert in the nursing process, I am very comfortable correlating this writing task with the steps of assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating my ‘patient condition’. This formal process will continue to inform my leadership approach to advocating for the wellbeing of the teams and individuals that might I have the privilege to lead now and in the future. I hope to be able to confidently state that patients we care for are safer and have a more excellent experience because of my leadership practices and how I care for patients and the clinical care team collectively as I would any ‘patient’. Thus far, vital signs have shown steady improvement, and hopefully the general prognosis of the healthcare industry might be upgraded from it’s current ‘critical state’ to ‘cautiously optimistic for full recovery’.