Being Your Best

Nurse Manager

2010-03-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

An area of growth that I will like to see me as a nursing leader will be a nurse manager at psychotic unit. I have been a nurse for 15 years, worked in many areas of nursing and I have found out that leadership and communication is a part of me. I have been a charge nurse for so many years, and I am currently working as a supervisor with the Los Angeles County. I am going to school to advance my education as APN (NP) in mental health. All registered nurses are leaders, but some time they don’t know how to apply the acquired knowledge. Leaders can be found in several areas where they have little or no management responsibilities. As a nurse manager they have to encourage patients, establish direction, gain commitment, and motivate members of the group. In contrast, it has been long accepted that there are four basic functions of management: planning, controlling, organizing and leading and more pronounced in nursing and leadership. Malt by (n.d.) with adequate planning manger will be able to achieve 80% of his or her objective by the end of the day. Nurse Managers will have an open communication, be a good listener, and participate in-group meetings with his or her staff. The manger should avoid controlling their staff, but be firm when needed. They should support staff member by giving them a positive feedback. Position power is the "ability of a leader to control subordinates through reward and punishment” Contingency Models 1997. An appropriate theory to apply in my organizational politics is Vroom's expectancy theory. This theory, "Assumes that behavior is a result from conscious choices among alternatives.” The leader-member theory focuses more on individual, vertical relationships. Leader-member relationships are of fewer consequences here than are the individual leader-member relationships for which the theory is named. It can bring benefit in the relationship between leader and member, which will help to strengthen the organization. However, its disadvantage is that it can serve to discount the dynamics of the group. This detriment can be of less consequence in health care than in manufacturing situations, where care is patient-centered. The most important management and leadership interactions often occur on a one-to-one basis between professionals (i.e., nurses) and their managers.

Healthcare Policy

2010-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone in American today is worried about health care, asking themselves where is the country going? Some people are asking themselves and wondering how health care reformed is going to be reformed. Reading an article on the blog web site (http://healthcarepolicy.fandm.edu/node/27) I find out that religious affiliations are getting involved with politics. They are discussing about health care policies and how it is going to affect people. The Catholic church and protestant are looking forward for a change, but different people have different opinions about health care. Some Americans compare the American health care system with other countries, believing that America is suppose to be number one. America is just average to compare with others, that was a shocking news for most of them. Republicans on the other hand are arguing that health care systems are for everyone not for the government. While democrats are thinking about saving money and give insurance to everyone, equal opportunity to every citizen. I personally did not think that it is possible, I believe that one should work hard to earn a reward. American health care is going down, it is all about money not about people.

Communication

2010-02-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

Communication is a process of getting information from one person to another, as a nurse we have to joined with other disciplining groups to achieve or reach to our goals. Lack of good communication will lead to conflict. With good communication, we as ANP (Advanced Nursing Practitioner) can be able to prevent conflict in our day to day activities. Good communication shows the strength of a good leader, which comes with other elements. These elements include negotiation, collaboration and conflict resolution. Communication comes with respect, trust and brings about gentle ideas. As a nurse, how can we bring good communication in our different areas of nursing?. My mother advice me when I was 10 years old, "Do not do to people what you will not like other people do to you." We should treat our patients with respect, listen to their complaints, be able to establish trust and provide feedback if we can.