Impact of Leadership on Quality Outcomes in a Work Unit

This critical analysis essay evaluates the impact of leadership on quality outcomes in a work unit, specifically in a healthcare organization. It discusses workplace situations, issues, and recommendations to improve the work environment and patient care.

Understanding of the impact of
leadership on quality outcomes in a work unit
1

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Workplace situation....................................................................................................................3
Evaluation of the issue................................................................................................................4
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
2

Introduction
Effective leaders play a crucial role in the health services that emphasise upon the
concept of continuous safety, high quality as well as compassionate care is considered as the
highest priority. The effective leaders tend to promote a continuous development in context of
the knowledge, skills as well as capabilities of the staff in order to enhance the quality of the care
of the patient along with the safety, compassion as well as the experience of the patients
(Richards, 2020 ).
MAIN BODY
Workplace situation
Workplace is referred to the culture that is described in context of collective values,
beliefs as well as attitudes in a specific workplace. Leadership is basically the crucial concept in
aspect of the development as well as influence regarding the culture that tends to facilitate a
comfortable and successful environment at the health care organisation. The essay is considering
the Nursing scenario where the workplace is facing several issues in context of high staff
turnover rate. In the organisation, Long term Nursing Unit Manager had retired and there in
several nurses were working at the position. Also, it has been observed that none of the existing
nurses have shown a desire for continuing in the organisation. Also, the sick leave has been
double in the average of the hospital (Sandhu, 2019).
It has been analysed that the health care organisation has been facing several issues in
context of the employee turn over rate and also the sick leaves have been doubled. Also, it can be
analysed that the organisation has been focussing upon the concept of over time in order to fill
the deficits at the workplace. There have been positions for 25% full time equivalents in the
organisation which are still left unfilled at the organisation. The health care organisation has
been continuously facing issues while recruiting the senior and experienced registered nurses at
the workplace organisation. Further it can be analysed from the scenario that the health care
organisation has been working upon in order to hire several more graduates so that the
organisation can reduce the cost of overtime from their employees (Hargett, and et.al, 2017).
Another issue that has been observed lately at the organisation is that the health care
organisation has been facing several errors in context of the medication wherein the consumers
falls have declined within the organisation. Due to the medication errors, the organisation has
3

been witnessing an increase in the reports in terms of aggression between the staff as well as the
consumers. Also, there have been consistent increase in the number of complaints from the
consumers and their families as well which has been highly impacting upon the image of the
health care organisation within the organisation. Further, the role of Nurse Educator has not been
filled in the permanent terms. This can be analysed as the organisation has witnesses
recruitments of four Nurse Educators in the last nine months. This shows that there has been low
employee retention at the organisation. Further, the vacant role of Clinical Facilitator has still not
been filled.
Evaluation of the issue
There has been several issues that are being faced by the health care organisation within
the organisational culture as well as management. The most significant concern in the health care
organisation that as been identified is in terms of safety for staff as well as patients. It tends to
indicate the drawback of the organisation in terms of safety culture as the organisation has been
lacking on the safety part. The concern is being directly associated with the outcomes of the poor
patient (Gopee and Galloway, 2017).
Also it has been reported that the aggression has been increasing in aspect of the
organisation that is constantly suggesting upon the negative behaviour of the organisation which
can not be considerer appropriate and acceptable in terms of the organisation. This tends to have
a psychological impact upon the mental health of the staff of the organisation. The workers have
been facing the negative behaviour which further leads to a burden or pressurising upon the
health care staff of the organisation. The burden and the pressure might further have an impact
upon the development and the productivity of the employees which is further likely to impact
upon the productivity and performance of the organisation as well. The burden and pressure
upon the employees is likely to develop a sense of anxiety, decreased self esteem as well as
decline in the engagement among the employees which might decrease the levels of job
dissatisfaction along with the depression along with feeling helpless as well (Ghafari, 2019).
Further, it can be evaluated from the several issues in the scenario of the health care
organisation that the negative behaviour of the staff that the workplace has been having an
adverse impact upon the care of patients or the consumers. The adverse impacts of the staff of
the organisation has been rapidly increasing the errors in form of medications along with the
patient falls as well as mortality rates that have been rapidly increasing.
4

Additionally it has been witnessed in the scenario that the health care organisation has a
reputation of a different culture within the organisation. The brand image is basically an impact
of the poor leadership as well as lacking in parts of the management of the organisation. This can
be considered as the reason behind the increase in the employee turnover, high absenteeism as
well as the medical errors in context of the patients. It is very essential for the health organisation
to focus upon the staff of the health care organisation which is specifically the nurses who have
been suffering through emotional exhaustion as well as sufferings (De Brún, O’Donovan and
McAuliffe, 2019).
All this have led to an issue regarding the recruitments of the nurses in order to deal with
the shortages of the nursing staff at the health care organisation. This issue tends to have a huge
impact upon the environment of the organisation. The nurses have been facing problems in order
to sustain and thus due to the several feelings of anxiety, isolation and stress that has made
retention of the nurses in dilemma.
Recommendations
It is very important for the health care organisation to comply with the several obligations
in order to deal with the issues at the organisation. There are several strategies that can be
recommended for the organisation in order to secure its positive image within the market in
terms of its performance and and workplace environment. It can be considered that the
leadership skills and strategies are likely to play a significant role in the upliftment of the
performance of the individuals. It has been analysed that it crucial for the organisation to retain a
permanent employee at the organisation for the job role of Nursing Unit Manager and the
employee must hold the effective qualities of an effective leader. An effective leader will make
contribution towards the positive environment in regard to the staff as well as patients of the
organisation. The leaders need to make sure that the employees focus upon the concept of open
communication among the employees in order to enhance the employee morale that can be done
through increasing the involvement of the staff in the decision making process (Belrhiti, Giralt
and Marchal, 2018).
Effective leadership is important in order to develop a trust among the several employees
and components of the nursing team. Also, it is recommended that the organisation and
leadership must focus upon the transparency in the recruitment and selection process. This can
be helpful in outlining the situation and background of the several candidates. It is important so
5

that the best of the candidates can be selected in order to focus upon the transformative approach
as well as the forward thinking approach that will facilitate a positive and safe work culture at
the health care organisation.
It is important for the organisation to secure an effective and dynamic Nursing Unit
Manager in order to bring in transformative changes within the unit. Also it is recommended that
the organisation must work upon recruiting a permanent Clinical Educator along with Clinical
Facilitator that needs to be secured in order to enhance the performance of the organisation while
reducing the burden of work upon the employees. The organisation is required to address the
educational and support requirements further in order to train the nurses regarding the transition
process. It will help the organisation to improve its productivity while enhancing the confidence
and competence that will lead to a decline in the medical errors and further improve the
retention rates at the health care organisation (Al-Mosawi, 2019).
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the report that the leadership skills play a crucial role in an
organisation. In aspect of the health care organisation, leadership tends to have an impact over
the quality of care as well as patients which are the customers of the organisation. Further, it can
be concluded that the cultural environment can become toxic and negative if the employees of
the organisation are inexperienced. Hence it is important for the organisation to work upon its
leadership through implementation of several strategies in the organisation.
6

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Al-Mosawi, A.J., 2019. Leadership in medicine and healthcare: an overview of the emerging
concepts and principles. Lupine Online Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(1), pp.344-351.
Belrhiti, Z., Giralt, A.N. and Marchal, B., 2018. Complex leadership in healthcare: a scoping
review. International journal of health policy and management, 7(12), p.1073.
De Brún, A., O’Donovan, R. and McAuliffe, E., 2019. Interventions to develop collectivistic
leadership in healthcare settings: a systematic review. BMC Health Services
Research, 19(1), pp.1-22.
Ghafari, Z., 2019. Healthcare leadership styles, competencies and affinity for technology in the
digital era (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University).
Gopee, N. and Galloway, J., 2017. Leadership and management in healthcare. Sage.
Hargett, C.W., and et.al, 2017. Developing a model for effective leadership in healthcare: a
concept mapping approach. Journal of healthcare leadership, 9, p.69.
Richards, A., 2020. Exploring the benefits and limitations of transactional leadership in
healthcare. Nursing Standard, 35(12), pp.46-50.
Sandhu, D., 2019. Healthcare educational leadership in the twenty-first century. Medical
teacher, 41(6), pp.614-618.
7