Personal Reflections on Nurse Leadership and Practice

This essay reflects on the author's experience as a nurse leader in a ward setting. The author discusses the importance of leadership skills, particularly transformational leadership, in motivating staff and improving ward performance. The essay details the author's approach, including morning meetings with staff, addressing challenges, and fostering open communication. The author highlights how these efforts boosted staff morale and created a more collaborative environment. The experience shaped the author's perspective on leadership, emphasizing the ongoing process of inspiring and empowering others within nursing practice. The essay references key leadership concepts and emphasizes the impact of a nurse leader's actions on shaping a positive work environment and achieving better patient outcomes.

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NURSE LEADERS SPEAK
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Nurse Leaders Speak
Leadership is a vital skill that is needed for all nursing professionals as they are required
to be confident and have the knowledge of leading others. A good leader requires to have
particular qualities even though some people are naturally born to be leaders (Swanwick and
McKimm 2011, p.24). As a leader, one is mandated with responsibilities of inspiring, motivating
and empowering people to facilitate change in the right direction. A nursing practitioner who
poses leadership qualities can motivate staff and to keep up their morale (Remus and Kennedy
2012, p.20). Clinical leaders can inspire others and promote vision and values by ensuring that
patients are at the forefront of every idea. This paper discusses my experience as a leader while
working as a registered nurse.
My experience as a nursing practitioner started when I was working in a ward for around
two months. I was able to gain confidence from my fellow staff and able to associate with them
well which boosted my leadership skills. Knowing people and communicating with them
facilitate trust as people can see what you are trying to achieve and start to work with you
(Hutchinson and Jackson 2012, p.21). I could come to the wards every morning and have around
15 minutes meeting with as many staff as possible. The team that I met included, domestic staff,
doctors, and physiotherapists. I wanted to bring change to the ward as it had previously
underperforming and underachieving its goals. While in the meetings, I would listen to my
fellow practitioners and various challenges they had on that particular shift. I would advise them
on any difficulties they had experienced or were experiencing as well as encourage them to
present their views on how they could bring changes or do things differently.
The meeting that I had were brief, but I ensured that I provided any information on any
changes by putting information on the boards in the staff room. I assured them that my office

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door was always open to receive complaints or ideas of bringing change. I gave feedback on
ideas that would be implemented and those that could not be achieved; I gave reasons why. I
worked in the ward for two months, but when I talked to the staff, they said their morale was
okay because they felt valued and part of the team. This is efforts that had not been attained
previously, but I was able to accomplish it via my transformational style of leadership. I was able
to inspire others to bring change and work as a team as well as make them feel that their values
and views were vital.
This experience has influenced and shaped my perspectives on leadership as well as my
current professional role as a registered nurse. I have experienced my position of leadership as
the one that articulates and puts into action for a future that inspires other practitioners. I
continue to perceive leadership as a process which should be incorporated in nursing practice.
450 Words for 3 Minutes Transcript
Personality, skills, and knowledge play an essential role in the type of a leader that one
could be especially in nursing practice (Kershaw 2011, p.31). A good leader can identify the
strengths and weaknesses of others as well as encouraging them. My experience as a nursing
practitioner started when I was working in a ward for around two months. I was able to gain
confidence from my fellow staff and able to associate with them well which boosted my
leadership skills.
Hutchinson and Jackson (2012, p.21) suggest that knowing people and communicating
with them facilitate trust as people can see what you are trying to achieve and start to work with
you. I could come to the wards every morning and have around 15 minutes meeting with as
many staff as possible. The team that I met included, domestic staff, doctors, and

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physiotherapists. I wanted to bring change to the ward as it had previously underperforming and
underachieving its goals. While in the meetings, I would listen to my fellow practitioners and
various challenges they had on that particular shift. I would advise them on any difficulties they
had experience, or they were experiencing as well as encourage them to present their views on
how they could bring changes or do things differently.
The meeting that I had were brief, but I ensured that I provided any information on any
changes by putting information on the boards in the staff room. I assured them that my office
door was always open to receive complaints or ideas of bringing change. I gave feedback on
ideas that would be implemented and those that could not be achieved; I gave reasons why. I
worked in the ward for two months, but when I talked to the staff, they said their morale was
okay because they felt valued and part of the team. This is something that had not been achieved
previously, but I was able to accomplish it via my transformational style of leadership. I was able
to inspire others to bring change and work as a team as well as make them feel that their values
and views were vital.
The experience I had as a leader while working has influenced and shaped my
perspectives on leadership as well as my current professional role as a registered nurse. I have
experienced my position of leadership as the one that articulates and puts into action for a future
that inspires other practitioners. I continue to perceive leadership as a process that is ongoing
which should be incorporated in nursing practice. Also, the experience has positively impacted
my current professional role by facilitating my skills and competencies that have prepared me to
be a prospective leader.

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References
Hutchinson, M. and Jackson, D. (2012). Transformational leadership in nursing: towards a more
critical interpretation. Nursing Inquiry, 20(1), pp.11-22.
Kershaw, B. (2011). The Future of Nursing – Leading Change, Advancing Health: The Future of
Nursing – Leading Change, Advancing Health. Nursing Standard, 26(7), pp.31-31.
Remus, S. and Kennedy, M. (2012). Innovation in Transformative Nursing Leadership: Nursing
Informatics Competencies and Roles. Nursing Leadership, 25(4), pp.14-26.
Swanwick, T. and McKimm, J. (2011). What is clinical leadership …and why is it
important? The Clinical Teacher, 8(1), pp.22-26.