NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

Chamberlain University NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change– Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Chamberlain University NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change   assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change              

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Chamberlain University NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change  depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change              

The introduction for the Chamberlain University NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change  is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change              

After the introduction, move into the main part of the NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change              

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change              

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

Effective interpersonal skills are at the root of a competent nurse. Nurse leaders who develop strong interpersonal skills are likely the ones to be most effective in their leadership roles and their abilities to implement positive change in the healthcare environment. As a future nurse educator, my goal is to influence the perioperative nursing environment through exemplary role modeling of the behavior, knowledge, and skillset that an operating nurse should have to be successful. I am currently developing my leadership skills in my current position as an assistant nurse manager in a hospital based, pediatric operating room setting. I have served in this position for the last 4 years and it has definitely been a learning experience. Undergraduate nursing programs and hospital orientations focus on educating the nurse to care for patients. There is little emphasis and preparation for nurses whom advance to leadership roles and acquire the task of leading a team of direct reports. In this week’s required reading, I found it interesting to consider that leadership and management are not always synonymous (Scully, 2014). There is such a variety of effective nurse leaders whom have great vision, and hold a desire to advance the care of patients, nurse education, and the profession, but do not necessarily hold a managerial title. This caused a great amount of personal reflection upon me this week as I thought further about the topic at hand.

I chose to pursue my master’s in nursing after spending the last few years in a nurse leadership role. The increasing desire to foster the education of nurses entering perioperative nursing for the first time interests me greatly. To be fully prepared to educate others, be it in the hospital, community, or academic setting, the nurse educator must be fully equipped with valuable leadership and knowledge skills. (Patterson & Krouse, 2015). Two strengths that I currently possess and feel will promote strong leadership as a nurse educator, are the ability to effectively communicate and professionalism. Communication to various disciplines and persons from all backgrounds are key to team building and is a crucial interpersonal skill to develop. This skill was not always my strength but over many years of nursing, I have learned that communication is so important to delivering competent care. The ability to articulate, creates an effective atmosphere and opens the door to success for the need at hand. Professionalism is my second strength. Professionalism is displayed in a conscientious work ethic, performing the assigned job properly, and with competence (Sheikhi, Khoshnab, Mohammadi, & Oskouie, 2015). I believe in taking pride in the task set before me be it circulating an appendectomy, managing a staff call schedule, or leading an in-service. Interpersonal skills of communication and professionalism will further prepare me to be an influential nurse educator.

Where there are strengths, there are also weaknesses. Areas of improvement that I identify with and are needed to enhance my leadership skills are emotional competence and active listening. I have the tendency to wear my heart on my sleeves at times which allows me to show great empathy in caring for others, but also can limit my abilities as an effective leader. Being able to properly maintain my emotions with a level of self-awareness will help me understand how to tackle the tasks set me before me effectively. As a nurse educator, relationship building is a key component and having a strong emotional competence will aid me in this endeavor (Patterson & Krouse, 2015).  Active listening is a skill that I would like to further develop. In the often-stressful environments I find myself in between home and work, distractions serve as a negative influence. As a charge nurse, I carry a phone that rings incessantly. As a mom to 3 young children, someone is needing me all hours of the day. I find that my active listening skills are limited in times when the stress level is high. Taking the time to slow down, prioritize my time, and focus on the important or immediate needs first will help me to improve my listening skills and further advance my communication abilities.

Priority strategies that I plan to implement immediately are self-management and relationship building. Self-management is the start to improving emotional competence and the ability to maintain composure, even during a difficult situation. This starts with managing my time and learning to say no when necessary, so that I can stay on track with the tasks I have committed to completing. Relationship building comes with improving active listening skills by communicating respectfully and compassionately with those I am working with or responsible for. This involves being a role model, mentoring, fostering a teamwork environment, advocating for my colleague, peers, future students, and recognizing the need for support when necessary (Patterson & Krouse, 2015). One way to do this as a nurse educator will be through team oriented approaches to learning. Practical scenarios could be provided for the team or students to work through and solve in support towards a common goal, as opposed to individually. With team approaches to healthcare, a nurse educator can help develop a sense of community amongst the nursing students. This will help nurses learn to speak up in real clinical practice through effective communication, advocate for their patient at a higher level, critically think, and problem solve.

References

Patterson, B., & Krouse, A. (2016). Competencies for leaders in nursing education. Nursing Education Perspectives, 36(2), 76-82. doi: 10.5480/13-1300

Scully, N. (2014). Leadership in nursing: The importance of recognizing inherent values and attributes to secure a positive future for the profession. Science Direct, 22(4), 439-444. doi: 10.1016.j.colegn.2014.09.004

Sheikhi, M., Fallahi-Khoshnab, M., Mohammadi, F., & Oskouie, F. (2016). Skills required for nursing career advancement: A qualitative study. Nurse Midwifery Student Journal, 5(2), 1-8. doi: 10.17795/nmsjournal30777

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Sample Answer 2 for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

Anyone can carry the title of leader, but not everyone possesses the ability to lead and effect change. A leader must be self -aware, be able to self-manage, be in tuned with the feeling others, have a vision and be open to communication and changes. As an FNP I will influence change by being emotionally present and keeping lines of communication open to foster good relationships and working environments. One of the biggest complaints from nursing staff is the lack of communication from their leaders.  We complain quite often that our leaders are out of touch or refuses to show respect or understanding.  Patients too have similar complaints with regards their health. My intention is to lead by example.  In my personal and professional life, I always seek to find common ground and be mindful of the feelings of others.

Emotional intelligence incorporates active listening and observing of others (Kumar, Adhish, & Chauhan, 2014). I have always heard a saying that  “nurses eat their young”, a phrase I simply dislike.  I was faced with such a scenario when on an occasion I witnessed a nurse belittle another colleague that she was orienting.  I approached the nurse that was being belittled and she shared with me her feelings about the encounter.  I then in turn addressed the offending nurse who was unaware of her negative undertones. I was able to get them together to discuss their issues, apologies were made and now they have a better working relationship.  I have also intervened and successfully dealt with matters between patients and staff.  Nurse leaders play a critical role in creating and maintaining a positive work environment (Bennett & Sawatzky, 2013). 

I feel that my two strengths are emotional intelligence and communication, being emotionally present as a leader serves not only for the betterment of fellow staff but the patient population that is being served.  I can sharpen these skills by improving my listening.  It is important to implement good listening skills because, good listening encourages others to speak, and effective listening has a major impact on job effectiveness and relationships. (Kumar et al., 2014). Two key strategies I can use to implement as professional development tools for leadership is continuous peer coaching and training sessions where leaders can learn how to be more effective communicators. Leadership can use these tools to further learn to improve upon their leadership styles, build on self-awareness, self-management and social awareness.  In doing so the leaders will learn ways to improve staff motivation and create effective teams which in turn will improve staff happiness, patient outcomes and retention levels. Positive work environment and hospital culture are created by strong leaders (Bennett & Sawatzky, 2013). 

Kumar, S., Adhish, V. S., & Chauhan, A. (2014). Managing self for leadership. Indian Journal Of

Community Medicine, 39(3), 138-142. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.137148

Bennett, K., & Sawatzky, J. V. (2013). Building emotional intelligence: a strategy for emerging

nurse leaders to reduce workplace bullying. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 37(2),144-151.doi:10.1097/NAQ.0b013e318286de5f

Sample Answer 3 for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

The second strategy I would like to implement is emotional intelligence with the goal of using the information obtained by this process to guide my thinking and actions within relationships. Emotional intelligence incorporates active listening and the observation of others (Kumar, Adhish, & Chauhan, 2014). The nurse-patient interaction is dynamic, complex and full of expressed emotions. During our interactions, we interpret these feelings when managing patient situations. If we could use this skill to understand more closely what drives the patient or staff member then as a leader, we could use that information towards the goal of quality patient care. As an FNP I will strive to be sensitive to nurse perception, patient emotions, and emotional variations. I intend to develop skills to assess patient’s responses to illness because human perception varies considerably, and each is unique in how he or she perceives events and he or she harbor different attitudes on various issues of life. Each person we come in contact with has a varied level of understanding and level of capability especially during times of severe illness. With this knowledge to manage emotions better while achieving desired goals.
Strategies I will implement to improve my weakness in delegation are to focus on my coworker’s strengths. As a leader, I will learn to decipher which team member has the lightest workload or is the most skilled for the task at hand. I also plan on using feedback loops to improve delegation moving forward. I shall make sure to publically thank, encourage, and praise the team member for their success in the task. When their performance has fallen short, I will provide constructive criticism. I will invite and encourage coworkers to evaluate my delegation to determine whether I gave them proper instructions and if I assigned the task to the correct person.
With regards to finding strategies that improve my ability with data collection, evaluation, and assessment. I believe my core MSN classes will equip me and strengthen my skill set. I can seek out a nurse mentor who is skilled and experienced with research and leadership within the hospital system that can help guide me further in the process.
Kumar, S., Adhish, V., & Chauhan, A. (2014). Managing self for leadership. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 39(3), 138–142. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.137148

Sample Answer 4 for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

Leadership is a complex area of nursing that I have found to be difficult over the years.  I have mainly been the recipient under the direction of management.  However, I was a permanent charge nurse of the emergency department for 2 plus years.  During this time my strongest leadership skill became promoting and influencing teamwork.  I was always respectful to ancillary staff and never viewed them as an unequal part of the team.  I praised and thanked them for their help.  They appreciated this, and in return, they stayed motivated and engaged.  I also always found floats for nurses that were struggling with their patient load, and I would also offer to help with tasks.  I was not afraid to help in the charge nurse role, versus others who just direct.  I prided myself on helping any team member, whether it be ESD, CNA’s, and fellow colleagues (nurses and doctors).  Another of my strengths is effective collaborative communication which goes hand in hand with teamwork.  My 16 years as an emergency room nurse has allowed me to practice with autonomy, which helped me in developing strong communication skills with team members.  Collaborative communication and teamwork will be essential as I progress in my role as an FNP for providing optimal patient centered care.  These strengths surround the idea of engaging others (CCHL, 2010).  Implementing change when needed in practice is an area that I haven’t had much experience, specifically when developing QI improvement strategies.  Leadership and establishing a culture of safety in any practice setting is essential for improvement to strengthen systems within healthcare (Blouin, A. S.  and Buturusis, B., 2012).  The concept of innovative ideas as a leader would somewhat mirror my previous weakness.  This would include developing , testing , and encouraging among all group members as stated by Skully (2014).  Establishing and executing areas of improvement in my practice will be an essential piece regarding leadership in my role as an FNP.  During my role as an FNP I will prioritize implementing change when I believe there is a break/flaw in the healthcare system. Especially, when if it affects patient outcomes, whether negative or positive. Open communication will be another essential priority for me.   As a leader, we must be approachable to establish effective communication.  I want any person involved in the healthcare team to feel they can approach me with any concerns regarding the care of my patients.  NP’s are senior members of the healthcare team.  They must engage and lead in collaborative communication for optimal patient-centered care (Watson, 2008).

Blouin, A. S. & Buturusis, B.  (2012).   Addressing the critical role of nurse leaders in advancing quality and safety.  Nurse Leader (10)6, 22-25.

Canadian College of Health Leaders (2010). Key points to leadership growth. A checklist for leaders. Retrieved from http://leadscanada.net/uploaded/web/Resources/ key_points /KEYPOINTS_2016_EN.pdf  Link (Links to an external site.)

Scully, N. J. (2015). Leadership in nursing: The importance of recognizing inherent values and attributes to secure a positive future for the profession. Collegian, 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.colegn.2014.09.004

Watson, C. (2008).  Assessing leadership in nurse practitioner candidates.  Australian Journal of      Advanced Nursing 26(1) 67-76.

Sample Answer 5 for NR 500 Week 4: Leadership: Establishing Relationships and Influencing Change

As a leader, I will influence change in health policies and how patients take care of themselves. As I see it, there are many opportunities for FNPs to assist with changing of policies. This can occur on a local, state, or national level. Just last week there was the opportunity to evaluate a policy and possibly change it, in the facility in which I am employed. At that juncture there were no strategies developed for assessing the policy and perhaps developing a plan to change the policy. I have not invested time in making the assessment, however there is a strong possibility I may do so. Part of the reluctance is that it may become an exercise in futility due to the mentality of some of the stakeholders.

There is a disparity of the availability of health care in rural areas. It is my desire to become a part of the solution to the problem by establishing a wellness center in a rural area. As such, there would be a very strong educational component in the practice. I will take a holistic approach and educate the patients to facilitate their participation in the plan of care and to promote positive health practices.

Two of the strengths that I possess as a leader are that of the demonstration of character and the commitment to customers and service. As is discussed in the Canadian College of Health Leaders (2012), demonstration of character is a key concept in leadership.  It further identifies the features of character. The features include integrity and “emotional resiliency” (p. 1).

Two areas that I need to improve to enhance my leadership skills and my ability to influence change are self-awareness and building of partnerships and networks. Brown (2009) defines self-awareness as the “ability to know your emotions and how they affect people around you” (p. 19). Rasheed (2015) indicates that there is the propensity to repeat mistakes when we lack self-awareness. In the past, I did not esteem the value of building partnerships and networking. However, I now see the value of doing the same. Doing so in the case of trying to effect policy-change can be very helpful as there is usually more than one group of people affected by the change.

Two priority strategies I will implement as professional development tools for leadership are the Johari Window for the development and improvement of self-awareness that is described in Rasheed (2015) and further development of listening skills. Results of a study by Lloyd, Boer, and Voelpel, (2017) suggest that when a leader engages in active listening there is the development of satisfaction with the leader and with the job by those who are led.

References

Brown, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence in plain english: Breakdown, application, introspection, and brain games. Albany, GA: Top Brainiac Publishing.

Canadian College of Health Leaders (2010). Key points to leadership growth. A checklist for leaders. Retrieved from http://leadscanada.net/uploaded/web/Resources/ key_ points /KEYPOINTS_2016_EN.pdf

Lloyd, K.J., Boer, D., & Voelpel, S.C. (2017). From listening to leading: Toward an understanding of supervisor listening within the framework of leader-member exchange theory. International Journal of Business Communication, 54(4), 431-451. doi:10.1177/2329488415572778

Rasheed, S. P. (2015). Self-awareness as a therapeutic tool for nurse/client relationship. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(1), 211.