Contemporary Nursing Practice: Leadership and Communication Report

This report delves into various aspects of professional nursing practice, focusing on leadership and management, communication, and professional practice. It begins by identifying key leadership skills for registered nurses, emphasizing relationship management and shared decision-making. The report then reflects on strategies to develop leadership qualities, including social awareness and conflict resolution. Next, it explores the challenges nurses face regarding privacy and security of medical records in aged care services, particularly in the context of digital health and emerging technologies. The report also examines the impact of role conflict on registered nurses and suggests self-care strategies to maintain emotional and physical well-being. Finally, it outlines positive workplace behaviors for graduate nurses, emphasizing responsibility, accountability, and integrity. The content is designed to provide insights into contemporary nursing practice and the skills necessary for success in the field. The report highlights the importance of effective communication, ethical considerations, and self-care in navigating the complexities of the healthcare environment.

Engagement in professional
nursing
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Table of Contents
Leadership and management...........................................................................................................2
Identifying leadership skills of registered nurses........................................................................2
Reflection on the development of the skills and strategies..........................................................3
Communication and Health Informatics..........................................................................................4
Challenges faced by nurses related to privacy and security of medical records in aged care
services........................................................................................................................................4
Digital health in planning patient care and implementing emerging technologies.....................5
Professional practice........................................................................................................................6
Impact of role conflict on a registered nurse...............................................................................6
Self-care strategies to stay emotionally and physically well.......................................................6
Positive workplace behaviors or attitudes to practice as a graduate nurse..................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Leadership and management
Identifying leadership skills of registered nurses
Strong and effective nursing leadership skills help registered nurses to motivate other nurses to
execute their work together as a team. With the help of leadership skills, they will be able to deal
with regulatory compliance, take fiscal responsibilities, and oversee quality measures and policy
setting (Endacott et al., 2015). The significant leadership skills that the registered nurses must
bring to their role are relationship management skills and shared decision-making skills which
are discussed below:
Relationship management skills
The registered nurses must gain the ability to manage their relationship with different individuals
as teamwork and collaboration are needed to serve high standard patient care (Meissner &
Radford, 2015). Collaborative relationships must be established into the role of the registered
nurses that honor the values and visions of the healthcare setting. Effective communication skills
play a crucial role for registered nurses to manage any relationship as they are involved in a
variety of relationships. A registered nurse must be capable of communicating with others
persuasively while understanding different situations and demonstrating empathy (Yoon, Kim &
Shin, 2016). As a result, the development of these skills helps registered nurses to actively
participate in patient care decisions, solve problems and openly communicate with
multidisciplinary team members.
Shared decision-making skills
Registered nurses must incorporate shared-decision making skills into their regular nursing
practice. It helps in promoting involvement, accountability and staff self-sufficiency. Rather than
controlling and directing the process of decision-making, the registered nurses must facilitate and
guide other nurse staff within the organization. This may result in creating a work environment
that fosters collegiality, cooperation and respect. Communication among management and
registered nurses become multidirectional as it allows the issues to be discussed openly and
provide solutions to mitigate the issues (Van Dyk, Siedlecki & Fitzpatrick, 2016). These skills

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also enable registered nurses to assume accountability and responsibility for their nursing
practice that improves job satisfaction and facilitates a sense of empowerment.
Reflection on the development of the skills and strategies
To develop my leadership qualities as a registered nurse, I will focus on implementing certain
leadership skills such as social awareness skills and conflict resolution skills which are discussed
below in more detail,
Social awareness skills
Social awareness is determined to be the key to the success of registered nurses. Developing
these skills and integrating them into the nursing role will help me in experiencing,
understanding and responding to the needs of the patients. A registered nurse must develop these
skills as it includes understanding social norms and networks within networks, cultures and
groups (Almost et al., 2016). Hence, there is a significant need for me to implement certain
strategies like communicating empathetically, compassionately and effectively and active
listening skills with the group members. This strategy will increase my ability to recognize the
stakeholders of the group, allegiances and motivations in an ever-changing healthcare
environment. I will also use the strategy of listening skills that will help in the future to identify
the emotional states of the people.
Conflict Resolution skills
Registered nurses must develop effective conflict resolutions skills to gain the ability to function
effectively within the evolving healthcare setting. As a registered nurse, it is significant for me to
motivate team members to bring in different perspectives to enhance the work of the team. The
role of a registered nurse is to make sure that these differences are dealt healthily without
experiencing any conflicting situation (Démeh & Rosengren, 2015). A conflict vitiates the
environment and minimizes the productivity of the team by protecting the team members from
putting in their best. At an organizational level, the procedure of conflict resolution will provide
me with an opportunity for change and growth within a healthcare setting to provide positive
outcomes. To develop these skills, I will implement strategies like collaboration, compromise,
accommodation, competition and avoidance. This will help me to resolve the conflicts that occur

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within the healthcare setting and avoid experiencing negative feelings because of the occurrence
of conflicts.
Communication and Health Informatics
Challenges faced by nurses related to privacy and security of medical records in aged care
services
In medical care, the expectations of security and privacy are deeply rooted in the professional,
ethical standards across different health professions. However, in the aged care services, the
nurses have to deal with various challenges related to privacy and security while using medical
records. The challenges are related to the use of new information and communication
technologies (ICT) into the healthcare system that creates barriers for the nurses in the manner
the information is disseminated and managed (Matney, Dolin, Buhl & Sheide, 2016). Hence,
ICT's may create a challenge for nurses based on the information control of older adult that may
result in possibilities and disruptions of change. The potential of big data and the utilization of
new ICT's raises possibilities as well as concerns for the nurses as such advances create
challenges for them at the time of using medical records of the older adults and making
decisions. The newly established IT's also blurred the social expectations and understanding of
privacy as it affects how and whom the information is transferred along with the information
practices and norms.
On the other hand, the utilization of electronic health records (EHR) systems has been widely
used in the healthcare systems while assisting patients, including older adults. The use of EHR
systems brought various changes in the professional control of medical records that allows the
sharing of medical records across different healthcare practitioners. As a result, this creates
challenges for nurses to enhance the privacy and security of medical records in aged care
services (Risling, 2017). Based on the perspectives of the nurses, the more troubling practice
related to the use of the EHR system is to edit the content that has been entered into the record
itself while securing privacy for the older adults. The nurses also stated that as EHR enables
different and more parties involving patients to view the record, they begin to simplify the text
and start using vague language as they do not seek to present the data to everyone with the access
to the medical record.

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Digital health in planning patient care and implementing emerging technologies
Delivery of high-standard patient care is considered to be an international agenda to attain
universal health coverage. In today's context, the utilization of mobile-cellular infrastructure
helps in providing a shift in health service delivery from facility-based providers to frontline
health professionals (Öberg et al., 2018). Furthermore, the implementation of digital referral
systems allows us to gain an understanding of patient needs and manage it by using relevant
resources.
The use of such type innovative digital referral systems will help me in the future to enhance my
practice and delivery of person-centered care by providing post-treatment follow up, patient
support and proper diagnosis. It allows nurses to use coordinated digital health referral
coordination systems (Kinnunen et al., 2019). It will help me in gaining the ability to interact
with others by immediately changing the plans for referrals and preparing the patient for care.
In most of the healthcare sectors, the role of receptionist has been taken by the robots that
include innovative mechanisms to medication for patients. I gathered knowledge that the robot
receptionist known as Pepper judders and speaks slowly, but he is 100% friendly while
welcoming visitors within the hospitals. For example, it is the humanoid assistant with a round
head and a screen on his chest and is the first robot across the world to greet people which is now
used in Belgian Hospitals (Pepper The Hospital Robot Receptionist - Behold The Future., 2019).
He can perceive emotions and understands the behavior of the clients and patients around him.
He is also able to recognize surprise, anger, sadness or joy and appropriately respond by
communicating with humans incredibly intuitive and natural. I acknowledged that Pepper
immediately develops trust and empathy and can offer functions and services that are not
provided by other robotic platforms. Therefore, the implementation of such type of new and
emerging technology help healthcare professionals to enhance their practice (Schaar & Wilson,
2015).

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Professional practice
Impact of role conflict on a registered nurse
The concept that has been chosen is the role of conflict that creates an impact on a registered
nurse (RN). Role of conflict is defined as the inconsistency of expectations and requirements
from the role, where consistency is examined based on a set of conditions that affects role
performance (De Raeve et al., 2017). It takes place when a person deals with conflicting and
competing sets of demands and expectations within an organization or at the time when the
principle of unity of command is infringed. It creates a negative impact on the effectiveness and
job satisfaction of a registered nurse. In the healthcare settings, an RN has to deal with various
factors like disagreements, incompatibilities, lack of clear jurisdiction, and poor communication
along with unclear expectation. It is related to the differences in attitudes or temperature and
group or individual conflict of interest. All these factors related to role conflict disrupt the
working relationships among RN's. However, too much conflict can create undesirable outcomes
like lack of cooperation and hostility that affects the performance of an RN. An RN with a high
level of communication with others across the working environment mostly deals with the role of
conflict.
However, it is seen that 90% of RN's are perceived with the role of conflict (Regan, Laschinger
& Wong, 2016). The deficiency in the job description and lack in role delineation among RN's
results into the role of conflict. Role of conflict is considered to be the real phenomenon and a
primary part of the workplace environment based on a registered nurse who works in the same
environment. It affects the role of an RN at the time of executing its job activities and shaping
professional relationships with others within the organization.
Self-care strategies to stay emotionally and physically well
Self-care strategies help a registered nurse to avoid general disdain for life, health problems,
burnout, fatigue and errors on the job (Ortiz, 2016). To stay emotionally and physically well as
an RN, I will implement two self-care strategies like being mindful and stay hydrated.

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Be mindful
Meditation techniques like guided imagery and deep breathing can be helpful for me in
refocusing on the present situation and overcoming stress. For example, by using meditation
videos and smartphone apps for nurses provides a suitable style and format for meditation
techniques (Smolowitz et al., 2015).
Stay hydrated
Most of the time, staying hydrated is regarded as a challenge for RN's. To overcome the ill-
effects of dehydration, I will take small sips of water at the time of my nursing shift. For
instance, RN's need to invest in an insulated tumbler to keep liquid refreshment at the ideal
temperature (Wang & Liu, 2015).
Positive workplace behaviors or attitudes to practice as a graduate nurse
Positive workplace behavior or attitude is regarded as a form of etiquette that is primarily linked
with courteous and respectful conduct (Logan, Gallimore & Jordan, 2016). As a graduate nurse, I
will practice two positive workplace behaviors or attitudes such as responsibility and
accountability and integrity.
Advocacy
It is the procedure of supporting a community, peer, family member or client to ensure that
safety and rights are upheld (Watkins, Hart & Mareno, 2016). As a graduate nurse, I will assume
the role of advocate for supporting patient's rights and interests. Practicing advocacy will help
me in achieving the goal of deciding on behalf of the patients when they are unable to do so.
Integrity
It is regarded as the adherence to a code of behavior that is significant for a nurse (Spence
Laschinger, Zhu & Read, 2016). As a graduate nurse, I will behave as per the principles, beliefs
and values based on the discipline set by the healthcare system. Practicing integrity will help me

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to attain the goal of enhancing sustained moral character, high ethical standards, respect, trust
and honesty.
References
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(2016). Managing and mitigating conflict in healthcare teams: an integrative
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De Raeve, P., Gomez, S., Hughes, P., Lyngholm, T., Sipilä, M., Kilanska, D., ... & ENS4Care
project. (2017). Enhancing the provision of health and social care in Europe through eH
ealth. International nursing review, 64(1), 33-41.
Démeh, W., & Rosengren, K. (2015). The visualisation of clinical leadership in the content of
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Kinnunen, U. M., Heponiemi, T., Rajalahti, E., Ahonen, O., Korhonen, T., & Hyppönen, H.
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420-429.
Logan, P. A., Gallimore, D., & Jordan, S. (2016). Transition from clinician to academic: an
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Meissner, E., & Radford, K. (2015). Importance and performance of managerial skills in the
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Öberg, U., Orre, C. J., Isaksson, U., Schimmer, R., Larsson, H., & Hörnsten, Å. (2018). Swedish
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