Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Discussion Paper

Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Discussion Paper

Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Discussion Paper

Nursing leadership and management necessitate a high level of knowledge and expertise. It entails the roles of nursing professionals who oversee the organizational structure of clinical processes, direct nursing staff, and lead nursing teams in providing patient care (Vuong, 2020). Nevertheless, nursing leadership and management are two different roles and vary in various elements. The purpose of this paper is to discuss nurse staffing ratios and the various measures taken by nurse leaders and managers to address the issue.

BUY A CUSTOM-PAPER HERE ON; Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Discussion Paper

Selected Issue, Setting, and Impact on Patient Safety

Nurse staffing ratios is one the weightiest issues being discussed within the nursing field. This is because of the increasing nurse-to-patient ratios whereby nurses countrywide are expected to care for more patients at a time than the recommended ratio. Individual states and healthcare organizations have been left to handle this worsening problem (Vuong, 2020). A reasonable nurse-to-patient ratio is associated with various positive outcomes for patients, nurses, and healthcare facilities. However, when nurses face high nurse-to-patient ratios and perceive unreasonable expectations are placed upon them, they often experience nurse burnout (Vuong, 2020). Furthermore, the quality of patient care gets compromised as the number of patients allocated to a single nurse increases. Unsafe staffing levels are associated with increased patient morbidity and mortality due to medication errors and missed nursing care. Besides the health risk to patients, unsafe staffing ratios affect patient satisfaction since patients’ perceptions of their care are related to the quality of care and nurse staffing.

Professional Standards of Practice to Rectify Issues or Maintain Professional Conduct

Safe nurse staffing is crucial for delivering safe, quality patient care at every practice level and setting. The issue can be resolved by applying professional standards of practice like defining a unit’s staffing needs by analyzing patients’ healthcare status. This includes the degree of stability, severity of their conditions, and acuity. The American Nurses Association (2019), explains that decisions on nurse staffing should be based on the quantity and needs of patients the hospital serves, as well as the community and patient populations. In any strategy for determining safe nurse staffing levels, nurse managers should consider the elements affecting patient care at the individual practice setting level.

Safe nurse staffing can be attained by allocating the appropriate number of nurses to a care situation. It should aim at providing patient-centered care, achieving the organization’s outcomes, meeting indices of quality care, and adhering with federal and state staffing laws. Registered nurses (RNs) in all healthcare systems should be active in staffing decisions (ANA, 2019). This guarantees the availability of the required time with patients to meet their care needs and general nursing responsibilities.

Differing Roles and Approaches of Nursing Leaders and Nursing Managers

The differences between a nursing leader and a manager are evident in their responsibilities, academic credentials, and duties. Nurse leaders are usually less hands-on, and focus more on creating standards, leading change, and motivating and influencing the nursing team (Wang et al., 2022). Nurse leaders’ role also entails setting policies, overseeing quality measures, and handling regulatory compliance. With regard to nurse staffing, the nurse leader would be involved in setting policies that direct minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for the different units based on patient acuity. Moreover, the nurse leader would oversee the implementation of the staffing ratios and ensure compliance with the set standards (Wang et al., 2022). Nurse leaders would also advocate at the organizational, local, and state levels for improvement of nurse staffing ratios to improve nurses’ welfare and better the quality and safety of patient care.

            On the other hand, the nurse manager engages in a wide range of daily tasks associated with planning for patient care, goal setting, quality improvement, and budgeting. They are tasked with supervising nurse staff schedules and tasks, promoting nurses’ professional growth, monitoring job performance, and continuously providing of opportunities to improve nurses’ education and career (Ofei et al., 2021). Thus, nurse managers would approach the nurse staffing ratios by determining the amount of patient care in specific patient units, and the number of nurses needed to attend to the patients’ needs. The manager would work with charge nurses to set goals, develop nurse schedules, and plan how they will meet safe nurse staffing ratios (Ofei et al., 2021). Besides, the nurse manager would plan for educational and professional growth opportunities for nurses to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to provide quality patient care in their units.

Ensuring Professionalism through Diverse Health Care Settings

Nurse managers and leaders can promote professionalism when addressing nurse staffing ratios by outlining the appropriate credentials and qualifications of RNs. They should also ensure that RNs in the organization are allowed to practice to the full extent of their training, education, licensure, and scope of practice (Pearce et al., 2018). In addition, leaders and managers can adjust staffing to incorporate devoted time and resources for precepting, mentoring, and focusing on the skill development needs of nurses, including novice and new hires. Nurse managers should also consider nurses’ professional characteristics when determining staffing needs, including experience, competencies, skill set, and staff mix.

Increased attention to continuous quality improvement strategies and innovation can help leaders and managers to alleviate staffing inefficiencies. Managers should strive to build an organizational culture whereby employees trust and respect each other and where there is interprofessional team building and employees collaboration since it supports loyalty leading to reduced turnover (Pearce et al., 2018). Besides, nurse managers can ensure they have well-developed nurse staffing guidelines with quantifiable nurse-sensitive outcomes tailored to that setting and patient population. These are applied as evidence to guide daily staffing and foster professionalism.

Leadership Style to Address Issue

The democratic leadership style can be used by nurse leaders when addressing the issue on staffing ratios. The leadership style embraces and encourages input and communication from the team during decision-making. A democratic leader can encourage nurses to communicate openly and participate in decision-making about staffing ratios in respective units. The leader focuses on building relationships with the aim of staff development and job satisfaction (Durmus & Kirca, 2020). This can promote retention and prevent nursing shortages, thus ensuring there are adequate nurses to meet the safe staffing ratios. The WHO recommends democratic leadership style to replace hierarchical leadership models in health leadership, proposing that inclusiveness and involvement of various stakeholders strengthen healthcare delivery.

Conclusion

Increasing nurse-to-patient ratios is a growing healthcare concern since it compromises the quality of nursing care. It results in nurse burnout resulting in nurses having a difficult time providing quality patient care and usually having strained relationships with patients and other providers. Nurse staffing decisions should be guided by the number and needs of the patient, families, communities, and populations a facility serves. Nurse leaders are less task-oriented compared to nurse managers and address nurse staffing ratios by setting standards on minimum nurse staffing ratios in their hospitals. Conversely, nurse managers determine the amount of patient care in specific patient units, and the number of nurses needed to attend to patients’ needs.

References

American Nurses Association. (2019). ANA’s Principles for Nurse Staffing (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492.

Durmus, S. C., & Kirca, K. (2020). Leadership Styles in Nursing. Chapters.DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.89679

Ofei, A. M. A., Paarima, Y., Barnes, T., & Kwashie, A. A. (2021). Staffing the unit with nurses: the role of nurse managers. Journal of Health Organization and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-04-2020-0134

Pearce, P. F., Morgan, S., Matthews, J. H., Martin, D. M., Ross, S. O., Rochin, E., & Welton, J. M. (2018). The value of nurse staffing: ANA principles redevelopment and direction for the future. Nursing Economics, 36(4), 169–176.

Vuong, L. (2020). Staffing ratios and burnout. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 120(5), 13.doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000662724.83879.81

Wang, B. L., Batmunkh, M. U., Samdandash, O., Divaakhuu, D., & Wong, W. K. (2022). Sustainability of Nursing Leadership and Its Contributing Factors in a Developing Economy: A Study in Mongolia. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 900016. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.900016

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE ON; Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Discussion Paper

Assessment Description
In this assignment, you will be writing a 1,000-1,250 word paper describing the differing approaches of nursing leaders and managers to issues in practice. To complete this assignment, do the following:

Select an issue from the following list: bullying, unit closures and restructuring, floating, nurse turnover, nurse staffing ratios, use of contract employees (i.e., registry and travel nurses), or magnet designation.
Describe the selected issue. Discuss how it impacts quality of care and patient safety in the setting in which it occurs.
Discuss how professional standards of practice should be demonstrated in this situation to help rectify the issue or maintain professional conduct.
Explain the differing roles of nursing leaders and nursing managers in this instance and discuss the different approaches they take to address the selected issue and promote patient safety and quality care. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings.
Discuss what additional aspects managers and leaders would need to initiate in order to ensure professionalism throughout diverse health care settings while addressing the selected issue.
Describe a leadership style that would best address the chosen issue. Explain why this style could be successful in this setting.
Use at least three peer-reviewed journal articles other than those presented in your text or provided in the course.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Benchmark – Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management – Rubric

Collapse All

Selected Issue, Setting, and Impact on Patient Safety 22.5 points

Criteria Description

Selected Issue, Setting, and Impact on Patient Safety

5. Excellent 22.5points

A clear description of the issue is presented. How the issue impacts quality of care and patient safety is detailed and accurate.

4. Good 20.03points

A description of the issue is presented. How the issue impacts quality of care and patient safety is presented. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy.

3. Satisfactory 17.78points

A general description of the issue is presented. A summary of how it impacts quality of care and patient safety is presented; more information is needed. There are some inaccuracies.

2. Less Than Satisfactory 16.88points

A partial summary of the issue is presented. How it impacts quality of care and patient safety is unclear. There are omissions of key information.

1. Unsatisfactory 0 points

The issue described does not meet the assignment criteria. The description of the

Professional Standards of Practice to Rectify Issue or Maintain Professional Conduct (B)

22.5 points

Criteria Description

Professional Standards of Practice to Rectify Issue or Maintain Professional Conduct (D3.4)

5. Excellent 22.5points

A through discussion of how professional standards of practice should be demonstrated in this situation to help rectify the issue or maintain professional conduct is presented. An understanding of the importance of professional standards of practice in resolving issues and maintaining professional conduct is demonstrated. Strong rationale supports discussion.

Diering Roles and Approaches of Nursing Leaders and Nursing Managers (B)

22.5 points

Criteria Description

Differing Roles and Approaches of Nursing Leaders and Nursing Managers (C1.3)

Ensuring Professionalism Through Diverse Health Care Settings (B) 30 points

Criteria Description

Ensuring Professionalism Through Diverse Health Care Settings (C1.1)

Leadership Style to Address Issue 22.5 points

Criteria Description

Leadership Style to Address Issue

Thesis Development and Purpose 7.5 points

Criteria Description

Thesis Development and Purpose

Argument Logic and Construction  7.5 points

Criteria Description

Argument Logic and Construction

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

7.5 points

Criteria Description

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)3 points

Criteria Description

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)

Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.

1. Unsatisfactory 0 points

Documentation of Sources 4.5 points

Criteria Description

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)

5. Excellent 4.5 points

Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

4. Good 4.01points

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.

3. Satisfactory 3.56points

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.

2. Less Than Satisfactory 3.38points

Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.

Total 150 points