Nursing Leadership and Management: Reflective Analysis of Experience

This reflective paper analyzes a student's observation of a nurse manager in a healthcare organization, focusing on conflict management and communication skills. The student observed the nurse manager's handling of patient and staff conflicts, highlighting the use of effective communication and transformational leadership. The paper discusses how the nurse manager addressed a patient's refusal of medication and resolved conflicts between nurses, emphasizing the importance of active listening and professional conduct. The student reflects on the experience, noting the nurse manager's friendly and helpful demeanor and the adoption of a transformational leadership style. The student identifies effective communication as a key skill for professional development and outlines future plans for improvement through on-the-job training. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significance of leadership and conflict management in nursing practice, and the student's commitment to refining communication skills to excel as a nurse leader.

Running head: NURSING
Nursing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Summary
The following is a reflective paper that is based on my personal analysis of a leader
who is working in a healthcare organization. My 2 weeks of observation helped me in
understanding that effective management of conflict plays an important role in the healthcare
organization. The use of the transformational leadership style and the use of the effective
communication skills help in proper execution of the work-process in the health-care
organization. Going forward I will refine my effective communication skills in order improve
by level of professional practice.

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Introduction
The following the paper is based on my experience a shadowing a nurse manager in
the skilled unit of hospital for two weeks. The paper will initiate my personal observation
regarding how the nurse manager handled the conflict and my personal reflection and my
future planning as a nurse.
Observation
During by observation to my nurse leader whom I am shadowing Enora Jao (EJ), I
observed that she is effective in handling the conflict arising while handling the patient and
the other co-workers. For example, one of EJ’s patients was refusing to take medications as
he no-longer wants to live. He (patient X) states that he has no friends or family and wants to
die. As per the nursing professionals code of conduct, a nurse must respect the autonomous
decision made by the patient in order to follow the informed decision making. However, not
taking medication might endanger the health of the individual and breaching the ethical issue
of beneficence. So in order to reduce the health risk, EJ use effective communication skills to
make patient X understand the importance of medications and how she will help her socialize
and thus leading to gain approval from patient X to take medicine. Foronda, MacWilliams
and McArthur (2016) stated that use of effective communication skill is an important aspect
of nurse leader as it helps in the development of therapeutic relationship with the client and
thus helping to increase the trust and executing the care planning with consent. In the second
observation, I saw that two nurses are exhibiting conflicting thoughts and this is creating
tension within the hospital flow. EJ listened to both the opinions calmly and asked them to
keep side their personal opinion and work as per the norms of the professional practice and
thus helping to resolve the conflict. EJ executed the use of the effective communication skill
like active listening in order to overcome the conflict between the two nurse colleagues.

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Reflections
Initially I was scared that my shadowing nurse manager might be rude to me and
might get annoyed with my repeated questions. However, upon my meeting, I found that she
is friendly and is helpful in clearing mu queries. The main leadership style that is being
executed by my nurse manager is transformational leadership style. Transformational
leadership style encourages the adaptation for change. It enables the recognition of the area
that needs change by understanding the concerns and the problems of the employees, at the
same time providing proper rewards, and recognition to the team members so that they feel
motivated (Fischer, 2016). EJ also practice active listening in order to resolve the conflict or
to understand the requirement of change and at the same time motivated the teammates by
giving weekly recognition so that there remains a positive energy within the team.
Professional development
I would serve at this position because I feel the overall work is very fulfilling as it
helps to execute high level of emotional intelligence. The main skill that I would need to
develop is effective communication skills. I will acquire them by attaining live on job
training under the execution of EJ. The main professional development upon attaining in this
skill is development of the therapeutic relationship with the client.
Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion it can be stated that by experience of shadowing a
nurse manager was empowering as I learnt how to manage conflict within the workplace and
the importance of leadership. Going forward I will try of develop my effective
communications skills in order to excel as a nurse leader.

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References
Fischer, S. A. (2016). Transformational leadership in nursing: a concept analysis. Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 72(11), 2644-2653. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13049
Foronda, C., MacWilliams, B., & McArthur, E. (2016). Interprofessional communication in
healthcare: An integrative review. Nurse education in practice, 19, 36-40.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.04.005