Leadership and Management in Nursing

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Leading and Management Leading and managing take on different meanings depending on one’s perspective. A registered nurse (RN) in healthcare may not fully internalize his or her role as “leader” on the team, but the responsibility inherent with licensure to practice, understand expectations and fulfilling them, is essential. Effective delegation is an important leadership strategy for any RN to learn and execute, as patient outcomes are ultimately tied to the RN assigned. In the scenario provided, there were several key factors that could have resulted in a poor quality outcome for the patient. There were a number of tasks assigned to the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), which required special training or competency. It was difficult to validate that the LVN had been deemed competent to perform the more specialized skills with the information available. Clarifying the LVN’s skill set and having full understanding of her training would have been critical for the RN in charge. Further, the LVN was simply not delivering the care that had been assigned. The RN needs to critically evaluate the situation. The LVN may have felt intimidated, lacked the skill, failed to understand the assignment, or any other variety of reasons. The point is the patient was not receiving the care needed and an intervention was required. “Delegation is both an art and a science. It includes cognitive, affective, and intuitive dimensions,” states Marjorie Barter (2002). All RN’s, regardless of assignment, should remember that “leaders do more than delegate, dictate, and direct. Leaders help others achieve their highest potential,” (American Nurses Association). The RN would have been remiss in not pursuing an answer to why the LVN appeared to be avoiding ce... ... middle of paper ... ... to serious harm to the patient. In the State of Texas, RN’s are ultimately accountable, and failure to embrace that responsibility and manage it effectively can be costly for all involved. The RN should not be resisting the idea of leadership, but rather engaging in building tools, knowledge and resources to help facilitate his or her role as a leader for the sake of patient care. References American Nurses Association. (n.d.). American Nurses Association. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://www.nursingworld.org Barter, M. (2002). Follow the team leader. Nursing Management, 33(10), 54-57. Five rights of delegation. (n.d.). Texas Board of Nursing. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://www.bon.texas.gov/practice/pdfs/Delegation-fiverights.pdf Murphy, S. S. (1995). Scope of Practice. Legal handbook for Texas nurses (p. 41). Austin: University of Texas Press.

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