The Role of Nurse Managers in Maintaining a Positive Work Environment and Patient Safety

This report explores the critical role of nurse managers in fostering a positive work environment, promoting patient safety, and ensuring efficient healthcare delivery. Through an analysis of various studies, the report highlights the impact of effective communication, leadership strategies, and organizational culture on nurse satisfaction, patient outcomes, and the overall success of healthcare institutions. The report emphasizes the importance of nurse managers in addressing challenges such as communication gaps, staff retention, and the implementation of evidence-based practices. It also examines the role of nurse managers in managing multigenerational workforces and fostering a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Introduction
Nurse Manager has crucial role in maintaining relations between registered staff and the
organization by minimizing communication gap and ensuring efficient working in positive
atmosphere. This report includes various studies defining characteristics of nurse leader in
various fields meeting up to expectations of patients, organization and staff for best results.
Lack of communication is a major short coming faced in hospitals. This may give rise to
negative repercussion for professionals and patients. This study includes how lack of proper
interpersonal communication gives rise to organizational problems and what can be done to
overcome such issues. (Cibanal et al.,2014). For evaluating the same, a test was conducted in
Northern Spain for a period of almost two years in various inpatient department of a hospital
and data was collected regarding various aspects. Complete analysis showed improper
communication basically affecting doctor-patient-nurse triangle. Even if proper work plan is
established problem arises in executing the same due to lack of proper orders. It is the
responsibility of the nursing leader to coordinate with all the professionals involved, explain
role of each individual and to settle any dispute in the unit. This harmonious relationship
between each member develops confidence in their work which is important for ensuring
productivity and their well-being.
Next survey is done to examine the extent of dissatisfaction among nurses due to improper
flow of communication by the nurse in lead or the nurse manager and its impact on the
smooth working of the hospital. A study was conducted in various public hospitals in a city
of South Africa wherein set of questions were used to collect data. Results revealed that due
to inadequate talks among professional nurses and leader there was a sense of dissatisfaction
in their jobs being offered. This leads to lack of acknowledgement professional nurses receive
for their efforts. This problem also arises due to lack of attention paid by the supervisor for
the problems nurses face in executing proper treatment plan. So, this becomes a two way
communication problem. Flow of complete and relevant information from and to the nurse
manager is of utter most important in such scenario. This also prevent communication
overload. (Wagner et al., 2015).
In addition one more article was published which included the role of lead nurse or manager
in retention of registered nurses. This helps in prevention of any crises in health care services
(Mokoka et al., 2011).Various data from different hospitals of South Africa reveals decline in
number of registered nurses and also the number of nurses pursuing their training. An
exploratory questionnaire was designed for the same. Result showed more than 90% of
nurses had issue with their safety and security measures along with problems related to
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finance, equipment supply and management. To fulfil these entire requirements manager
need to look after all drawbacks; respect nurses and also encourage patients as well as doctors
to do so. This in combination will help satisfying self esteemed needs of nurses. This
concludes that an increase in pay scale and revising the same on annual basis will prevent
crisis of nurses. Safety measures should be improved. Nurse in lead should mange for all the
required equipments for efficient functioning.
Next report aims in providing an overview about the role of head nurse in maintaining work
environment. This in turn helps in retention of staff nurses. A qualitative descriptive study
was done which stated that the level of stress nurse manager had to undergo and their coping
abilities severely affect work environment of hospital. It was noted that the perception of
stress by nurse manger is due to work overload. Reason identified behind all these was
resources availability, work performance and expectation regarding performance level. All
together these problems create a negative environment to work into. To deal with such stress
levels nurse managers need to develop more effective coping strategies that are problem
focused ways of managing works at individual as well as organization level. This will add
into nursing resources to meet up work volume requirement. All these will result in better
performance of head manager thus maintaining qualitative work environment.
This part of report encloses the vitality of leadership in implementation of evidence based
practise (EBP) in nursing. EBP depends on those receiving care based on the basis of expert
knowledge of care providers within the limits of resources available. Apart from different
studies for the same; recently Hutchinson & Johnston; Moser et al. reported two impacting
factors for implementation of EBP. One being strong leadership qualities and another is
mastery in skills related to practise. Three broadly defined leadership strategies have been
emerged in various studies. One being mangers’ role in encouraging staff in using guidelines
provided for being supportive, accessible and communicating promptly. Second is enhancing
communication skills for proper implementation of advancement. Lastly, feedback from staff,
patients as well as managers also plays a crucial role (Sandstrom et al., 2011). EBP is though
a complex system involving leader, organisation and culture being practised yet expertise of a
leader is very important for the same.
In addition a report was disclosed measuring the extent of patients’ safety because of nurse
manager and their team’s collaboration. We need to look into connections between care
provided by the nurses and quality outcomes from patient’s safety point of view. Regarding
this an electronic data base was prepared over a period of 10 years which revealed check on
quality of products, functioning of machines and transfer of records to staff by nurse manager
is very crucial. This leadership quality, nursing empowerment and their collaboration is
needed for proper interdisciplinary working of the organization towards patient’s safety. Still
studies are going on to close the gap affecting quality treatment of the patient. For this head
nurse should play their role more efficiently so as to meet patient’s expectations in best
possible way ensuring their safety. This concludes that huge potential exist regarding
improvement from leadership aspect in maintaining quality treatment (Richardson and Storr,
2010).
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Next study aims in establishing relationship between leadership roles, organisational culture
and job satisfaction of employees. Organisational culture is basically old values and beliefs of
hospital existing since long affecting behaviour and attitude of employees (Tsai,
2011).Structured study was performed using set of questionnaire to evaluate the same. Its
reliability was tested by Cronbach's α and confirmatory factors. Study stated correlation
between the three units. Usually leadership role is adjusted by administrator to reach aims
and goals of organisation which in turn help in job satisfaction of employees working over
there and also ensures quality outcome. Leaders should take up their responsibilities to
manage problems at every level i.e. organisation, employees and patient level. This helps in
efficient working of organisation meeting all the demands. Culture existing in an organisation
determines work environment which also affects interaction between leaders and employee
which in positive way helps in increased output all together.
This part of the report explains the role of nursing leadership in introducing advance clinical
practises in nursing which helps in delivering better health services to the patients. In this
challenging era inculcation of advance nursing practise helps nurses to become more
responsive towards changing systems in health care. This will also help in effective planning
and increased potential of organization to face complex situations. Nursing leaders apart from
their various roles such as collaborator, mentor, quality caretaker, communicator etc play
important role in implementing advance clinical practises. There are various examples stating
role of nursing leaders incorporating advance practises at national, regional and local
organisational level. Leaders revealed that lack of awareness regarding advance practises
among practising nurses is one of the major issue. This can be overcome by leaders’ active
participation in providing such information and encouraging their teams to pursue them. This
transformation in clinical practise ensures bright future of organisation along with associated
individual (Carter et al., 2010).
Adding to other information focus on the importance of nursing leaders in managing
multigenerational workforce and establishing smooth functioning of the organization was
also given. With recruitment of new staffs and ageing of present nursing staff; generational
gap can be noted very easily which may give rise to variety of disputes. This creates negative
environment in hospitals to work in. Now it is the duty of head nurse or nurse manager to
understand their needs, behaviour and attitude towards work. This is the only way one can
deal with such scenario. This also helps in bringing out needed transformational changes in
culture of the organisation. Proper understanding about work abilities of different generations
also helps the leader in putting up their work potentials in an appropriate manner (Stanley,
2010). Retaining and recruiting workforces in nursing is a major challenge faced by nurse
leaders which can be best settled by deeper understanding of problems in commonly
identified generational groups.
Objective of one more report was to determine the role of nurse manager in relation with
patient’s satisfaction level at adult ICU and care provided by nurses. This aspect is rarely
noticed and measured but has severe impact on hospital reimbursement. Regarding the same,
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one of the scales used is practise environment scale from nursing work index (PES-NWI).
This scale effectively calculates perception of work environment by nurses in limits of
critical care unit. The values relate patients’ satisfaction level because of care provided to
them by working staff in critical atmosphere. Studies shows greatest satisfaction level is with
the perception of nurse manager. There are two most important points in this case. First one
being maintaining healthy work environment in critically tensed unit which is best managed
by leader in charge by relevant communication. Second one is being patients’ satisfaction
level which definitely depends on positive working environment (Boev, 2012).
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References
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