Nursing Leadership

Essay # 102682

Business > Human Resources
Medical and Health > Medical Studies
Psychology > Theory

Nursing Leadership

This paper uses the author's own experience to exemplify the application of leadership theories to the hospital nursing environment.

1,000 words () | 3 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the correction of a situation of poor morale within the author's nursing staff of a hospital telemetry team. The author attributes this morale issue to a very busy workload, to demanding physicians who mostly are non-collegial and especially to a high turnover rate of new people who leave within a year. The paper related that these resignations were because many nurses, including senior staff nurses, felt powerless in their daily work. The author states that her goal became to enhance the staff's personal level of empowerment. The paper explains that some sources of power were in the extensive experience (expert power) of the staff itself and in the legitimate and recognized leadership power of the author. The author comments that this legitimate type of power can influence, motivate and facilitate the direction of the author's staff.

From the Paper:

"I began to empower my subordinates by first utilizing the human resources at hand. The senior staff was a promising starting point primarily due to their accumulated experience within the telemetry unit. This initiation of distribution of power started with the recognition of senior staff that see the opportunity to assume greater responsibility and accountability, influence and direct others, participate in planning, decision-making and implementation. This also went hand-in-hand with the examination of personal motivations for seeking and exerting power."

Sample of Sources Used:

Kelly-Heidenthal, P. (2003). Nursing Leadership & Management. Thomson Delmar Learning. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/content/0766825086/student/index.asp?isbn=0766825086
Maslow, A. (2006). Abraham Maslow Biography - Hierarchy of Needs. Value Based Management.net. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/leaders_maslow_hierarchy.html
Vroom, V. (2006). Vroom's Expectancy Theory. Value Based Management.net. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_vroom_expectancy_theory.html