Assignment 2: Becoming Influential - Nursing Communication Skills

This assignment, titled 'Becoming Influential,' focuses on the crucial role of nurses in shaping public perception and actions related to health and well-being. The student identifies communication as the key message, emphasizing its importance in the nursing profession to improve patient outcomes and increase public awareness. The assignment details a plan to share this message through face-to-face community events, particularly during International Nurse Day, and highlights the need for clear, transparent communication between healthcare providers and users. It addresses potential obstacles like time constraints and lack of support, outlining negotiation and advocacy skills necessary for effective message delivery. The student reflects on the assignment's impact, emphasizing how communication can enhance the visibility and credibility of the nursing profession, and outlines future steps to promote nursing leadership.

Running Head: ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 1
Assignment 2: Becoming Influential

ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 2
Deciding on My Message
The nursing profession is highly delicate and dynamic in nature. The nursing
professionals need to act in an influential manner so that the contribution that they do can be
identified and acknowledged by one and all. In order to develop the key skills and knowledge
so as to influence public opinion and actions relating to issues of the health and well-being of
society the main issue that has been identified here relates to communication (Nursing
Leadership Communication Strategies, 2019). Communication is an indispensable
characteristic in each and every professional context. But when it comes to the nursing
setting, its significance gets further intensified. In order to become an effective leader in the
nursing context, one needs to carefully comprehend the role of communication (Sullivan,
2016). Thus in this assignment, the main message that I have identified for nurses to be
influential leaders relates to the communication skills.
I selected the communication message relating to the profession of nursing that the
public must be aware of. This is because the manner in which the professionals interact and
engage had a direct implication on their health and well-being. In the delicate work setting, I
had once witnessed an incident where poor communication between the nurse and the
healthcare user gave rise to a serious medical error (Nursing Leadership Communication
Strategies, 2019). The safety of the particular patient was compromised as he had failed to
give the name of the medicines that he was currently using while being admitted in the
healthcare facility. The incident was an eye-opener for me and I realized that maintaining a
direct and transparent communication between the care user and the care provider is of
paramount significance when it comes to the nursing setting (Sullivan, 2016, p 134).
The ultimate theme of this message is to showcase how a healthy, direct and
transparent communication in the nursing context can constructively influence the health

ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 3
outcome of individuals. I decided that the message relating to communication in the nursing
context needs to be known by the public because it can affect them more than it can impact
the professionals (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). Communication has a major role to play when it
comes to nursing leadership. By sharing this piece of the message I want to encourage care
users to act in a more transparent manner so that their health condition and well-being can be
in improved the process.
Deciding on How to Share My Message
In order to have the most influence of the message, it would be shared in a face-to-
face event which could be arranged at the community level. The interactive platform would
be designed so that healthcare users and healthcare professionals including physicians and
nurses could interact about their specific roles and responsibilities in the care setting. Since
the intention is to share the message with one and all that exists in the social context, local
healthcare facilities could be selected to transmit the message (Vito-Thomas et al., 2018). The
involvement would be of critical significance to make the message sharing process more
impactful and meaningful.
A number of elements would be taken into considerations that would influence the
submission of the message. For instance, an informal format would be designed where the
audience, as well as the nursing professionals, could engage effectively. This would enable a
two-way communication approach. Similarly, in order to share the message relating to the
nursing profession, International Nurse Day would be selected (Beauvais, 2018). It would act
as the right occasion to attract masses and educate them about the nursing profession and how
they create value in the delicate and sensitive healthcare context. Regular follow-up with the
healthcare staff and management team would be necessary so that the message-sharing event
could be properly handled. Some of the main obstacles that I could face include the lack of

ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 4
time, and resources to arrange the message sharing process. Similarly, the lack of support by
the senior professionals in the healthcare setting could also act as a major obstacle that I
would have to overcome (Ellis, 2018). The main negation and advocacy skills that I would
need to get the message out include problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, peer
advocacy, and system advocacy.
My Message
The message that I intend to share with the public relates to the relevance of
communication in the nursing context. A proper interaction and engagement are vital in the
delicate professional context (Scully, 2015). In order to be an influential and effective leader
in the nursing environment, one needs to communicate with the key stakeholders about how
the professionals create value for them in a dynamic environment.
What I Learned From This Assignment
The assignment on nursing was extremely enriching for me because I got an insight
into how the communication skill can help nursing professionals to create value for the key
stakeholders who are involved in the care setting. Communication is a critical skill that
nurses need to work upon so that they can succeed as effective leaders in a delicate
environment (Ranki et al.,, 2017).
The exposure of the nursing profession is very low in media discussions relating to
healthcare. I think the main reason for this is the lack of awareness about the profession. The
role of nurses is very critical just like that of physicians. But people are not exactly aware of
how these dedicated individuals work to save the lives of people. I can become more
influential in this regard by sharing with the public how nurses create value for them. So I can

ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 5
showcase a fairer and stronger image so that the general public will get an insight into how
the nursing professionals function to serve the care users in the best possible manner.
In order to increase the visibility and credibility of the nursing profession in the
future, I will go to healthcare events and speak at the industry-level events. The exposure will
enable me to share how the nursing professionals act as the backbone of the healthcare
professional setting. In addition to this, I can also start a social media page that will be
entirely dedicated to nursing professionals (Vito-Thomas et al., 2018). The platform will
facilitate simpler interaction among nursing professional which will spread knowledge about
the profession. Thus the main learning is that communication is the key to enhance the public
knowledge and visibility of the nursing profession.
References
Beauvais, A. M. (Ed.). (2018). Leadership and Management Competence in Nursing
Practice: Competencies, Skills, Decision-Making. Springer Publishing Company.
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Ellis, P. (2018). Leadership, management and team working in nursing. Learning Matters.
Nursing Leadership Communication Strategies. (2019). Retrieved from
https://online.franu.edu/news/2018/08/16/nursing-leadership-communication-strategies
Rankin, J., Russell, M., Matthews, A., & Pollard, M. (2017). Clinical leadership and effective
nursing teams. GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health Care (JNHC), 4(1).
Sullivan, E. J. (2016). Revel for Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing: Student
Value Edition. Prentice Hall.

ASSIGNMENT 2: BECOMING INFLUENTIAL 6
Scully, N. J. (2015). Leadership in nursing: The importance of recognising inherent values
and attributes to secure a positive future for the profession. Collegian, 22(4), 439-444.
Vito-Thomas, D., Allyn, P., Wagner, L. B., Hodges, T., & Streitmatter, S. S. (2018). The
Evidence-Based Practice Fulcrum: Balancing Leadership and Emotional Intelligence in
Nursing and Interprofessional Education.