Leadership for Beginning Practice Assignment 2022

Leadership for Beginning Practice 1
Leadership for Beginning Practice
By (Name of Student)
Institution
City/State
Course Number
Professor
Date

Leadership for Beginning Practice 2
Leadership for Beginning Practice
Introduction
New practitioners who recently graduated from their professional training or education
are expected to work as individuals or in a team. It is important for the newly graduated
healthcare practitioner to consider the position they occupy in the assigned team (Andre, Aune,
and Braend, 2016). The purpose of working in a team is to improve practice experience to
enhance the safety and wellbeing of both the patient and the practitioner. It is essential for nurses
to understand the essential elements that define and impact nursing leadership practices (Al-
Sawai, 2013). New graduates should at the same time understand the ethical and legal boundaries
of practice and consider working with Nurse Unit Manager (NUM). The focus of each new
graduate should be on how to improve personal and professional competence through resilience
and experience. This paper provides a discussion of key factors defining nursing leadership from
a case perspective of newly graduated nurses.
Factors that Impact on Nursing Leaders and Professional Practice
Nurse Unit Managers offer leadership and professional help to nurses in the unit to
improve patients’ experience and professional expertise. The role of NUM, therefore, revolves
around improving nursing practice by offering leadership and direction to other nurses including
the newly graduated practitioners. NUMs are bound to uphold the nursing standards to ensure
that each practitioner adheres to safe and competent professional practice. Such a consideration
explains why newly graduated nurses are in constant supervision while working with other
experienced nurses to encourage and foster experience-based skill development (Levy‐Malmberg
and Hilli, 2014). Since new graduates are vulnerable to mistakes as they strengthen their

Leadership for Beginning Practice 3
confidence, NUMs are required to step up and offer professional guidance and assurance (Andre,
Aune, and Braend, 2016).
As a NUM, the first thing to consider regarding Kim’s case is to remember the impact of
Kim’s experience on professional development and endeavor on measures to improve the nurse’
confidence. The NUM did a mistake by approaching Kim in front of her colleagues and restate
how Kim was upset with the previous experience. The NUM was aware of what transpired but
still confronted Kim while she was on a busy schedule working together with her colleagues. In
my opinion, what the NUM did only exacerbated Kim’s experience and downgraded the
practitioner’s self-esteem. If I was the NUM, I could have called Kim in private and inform her
about my availability and offer to have a counseling session when she is available. I could not
have bashed her in front of her coworkers especially when I am aware that she was upset by the
previous encounter. At this moment, Kim needs support from other experienced nurses as well as
from the NUM to build her courage and focus on improving her ability to offer efficient and
professional services to healthcare consumers (Charlotte, 2014).
NUMs are required to nurture a culture of competence, which is a clinical milestone that
cannot be achieved when the courage and motivation of nurses are affected (Johansson, Sandahl,
and Hasson, 2013). Nursing standards promote safe staffing practices and NUMs are the
custodians of these standards in their respective units. Through the support of NUM and nursing
leadership, it is possible for healthcare practitioners to enhance their knowledge through
continuous practice, experience, and education and seek to improve clinical practice. One of the
issues that affect effective nursing leadership, as well as professional practice, is lack of proper
employee engagement (Ehrenberg, Gustavsson, Wallin, Bostrom, and Rudman, 2016). When
healthcare practitioners fail to adhere to communication and engagement guidelines, there is a