Leadership Interview Essay

Todays professional suck ins assume lead and management responsibilities regardless of the activity in which they ar involved (Koernig-Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006, p. 2). D. Martin. is the bind music director for The Spirit Medical Transportation Services (Spirit) of Saint Josephs Childrens Hospital in Marsh theater of operations, Wisconsin. She started her career as an ICU nurse, and from on that point moved into medical transportation. She worked as a cater flight nurse in three distinguishable programs, including Spirit, for 15 divisions before assuming the assistant nurse music director role for Spirit, and in the past year moved into the station of manager.In an interview with D. Martin she discussed achieving of a position of leaders in our care for community. The interview included questions close her back show, and the role she has today. leaders StyleD. Martin ( personalized communication, marchland 6, 2008) describes a leader as some unitary who is ope n to work potently with other hatful and facilitate getting the task make. She further discusses the leader needing to overhear interactive communication skills. These skills she describes as deuce splits first is active listening, making eye contact and talent full attention to the person speaking the second is being able to talk and make a point with sounding condescending.Through her examples, D.Martin has a democratic or participative leading air. Leaders with a democratic style act as a catalyst or facilitator to guide the root word towards achieving group goals (Koernig-Blais et al, 2006). Democratic leaders may be less businesslike than other types of leadership, but it does allow for a spirit of collaboration and creativity from group members. This type of leadership can be extremely effective in the healthcare setting (Tappen, 2001, p. 26) ad hominem Philosophy and Important Qualities of leadingWhen questioned about important qualities or characteristics of a leader, D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) again emphasized the brilliance of interactive communication. D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) stated that an effective leader necessitate to complaisance their staff, or whomever they are leading. That a leader needs to learn how to be politically correct in all settings, and theleader as manager needs to learn how to delegate, and to be aware of the fiscal responsibilities within the institution, and equaliser those requirements with the needs of the department they are managing.Sullivan and Decker, 2005 p. 44 state that all acceptable managers are in any case good leaders. D. Martin talked interchangeably of leaders and managers, because she views herself as a leader first, and a manager second. Her views are that as a staff nurse, she was viewed as a leader among the flight crew, and now as a manager, she is still that leader, but with the responsibilities of management (D. Martin personal communica tion, March 6, 2008). A manager is responsible and accountable to the organization for accomplishing the goals of the organization (Sullivan & Decker, 2005).When D. Martin was questioned about her personal school of thought of leadership she replied that you are never acquittance to please everyone all of the time, and that the virtually important thing to remember is that you have to be able to resilient with your decisions, legally and ethically (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). According to D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008), note and safety should be ranked equally at number one in consideration for what can and should be done. She believes that as a manager, she needs to be the mother tiger looking out for her cubs that she has to protect the staffs interests. D. Martin also believes that an effective manager should have inject up by means of the ranks.A manager should not ask the staff to do something she has not done, or would not do. Another aspect of an effective manager is that the manager should have been a clinical leader first, that they have been there, done that for years. The manager may not always be able to keep up those clinical skills, and be able to perform the clinical aspects of the job, but if they have done it for years, they will understand the concepts when the staff needs someone to talk to (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008)Learning Experiences that have Influenced Growth as a LeaderD. Martin believes that her own clinical experiences and what she has done have had the most influence on her personal development. Her bedside clinical experience in an ICU prepared her for her role as a transport nurse (personal communication, March 6, 2008).She was involved in the start-up of 2 different transport services, and her third experience was a transport nurse on a well established service. The first transport service she was part of was a load and go team with one of the first meand ering(a) ICUs in Wisconsin. Her belief is that being on the ground floor of two services, the personal growth from those experiences as the service went through its growing pains, makes her better prepared for the growing pains of going from peer to boss. She also emphasized that managers should not take things for granted, if they have not been where they are asking their staff to go, she feel strongly that she brings a been there, done that style to her leadership (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Evolution of Nursing leadership in health care TodayThe interview continued with the question of how she sees leadership evolving in nursing today. Her first response was disappointed. When she first started out in nursing, many a(prenominal) registered nurses were from an associates program, and the recommendation for a management position, or to teach was someone with a bachelors degree in nursing. Once she had achieved her bachelors, the measuring had been raised w ith the recommendation that managers have their masters degree, in nursing or in business, and that nursing instructors have their PhD in nursing or education (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Her thought is that with the requirement of that much schooling, the people managing departments, and teaching new nurses, are so far removed from the clinical aspects of nursing, that they are not as effective as someone who has recently been a clinical nurse. She feels nursing needs instructors that have been there, and instructors should not be only those with the highest degrees. There needs to be opportunities for nurses to move up through the ranks through independent nursing practice, and recognition needs to be accustomed to the clinical experts at the bedside. The advanced degree should not be to a greater extent important than clinical expertise in a given field (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Challenges Facing Leaders in Todays Healthcare System sD. Martin (personalcommunication, March 6, 2008), believes that the most challenging issues in her current position are the need to have a more global perspective, and having an mouthful for it. She described one aspect of that global perspective in ground of the hospital reckon. Finding out what the hospital budget is, and that it comes down from the cover charge of the corporation, not just the top of our individual hospital. Patients are important, but from a business standpoint, money is the bottom line (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Healthcare is a business, and needs to be run as a business. She states that the biggest erotic love she had to give up was that the patient comes first. She had to learn how to facilitate the system, within the budget given, and with the resources available to her. Management cannot give the staff everything they are asking for, the money, and decisions come from the top down. Management would be easy if you didnt have to plentitude with the people (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).The Impact of a Mentor on Leadership StyleD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) states that she has had three mentors in her career. Each is unique and she is gratifying to them. Her first was her nurse manager of her first flight service. She states that he withal came up through the ranks. He taught her the importance of creating a balance amongst management and work.Her next mentor was her first nurse manager when she started at Saint Josephs, Terri. Terri was her mentor through her masters program, and taught her the importance of being politically correct and fair. That, as a manager, you might not check out with what is being said, but you need to have enough self pull wires to not let them see you do not agree with the telephoner line, or to never let them see you sweat (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Her third mentor was her nurse manager for the 11 years she w as a flight nurse with Spirit. Through him she learned that different management styles are okay, and that an open door policy was what she respected most about his style. He also taught her the importance of credibility, and to not makepromises you may not be able to keep (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Advice to Someone Interested in LeadershipD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) discussed the difficulty going from peer to boss. Her recommendation would be for anyone in that position to take a class on effective leadership to learn more on how to delegate, find resources and about fiscal responsibility. She did declare me that Saint Josephs Childrens Hospital does offer a two day seminar to employees on this topic, and she further recommends all Neonatal Intensive get by Transport Nurses take this class, as they all function in a leadership role (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).Her other advice was to be hit to put in long hours . To be passionate about whom you compulsion to lead. Be clinically competent, and have confidence in yourself, and your knowledge. Stand up for yourself and your staff. Learn to take risks, and trust your instincts (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008).ConclusionLeadership and management are the responsibility of all professional nurses. Effective leadership and management is a learned process. Mentors can have a demonstrable impact on the personal and professional growth of a nurse. Personal integrity, honesty, and a concern for human dignity should guide all leadership and management decisions (Koernig-Blais et. al, 2006).ReferencesKoernig-Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. (2006). Professional Nursing charge Concepts and Perspectives (5th ed.). Upper buck River, NJ Pearson Education, Inc.Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J., (2005). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall HealthTappen, R. M., (2001). Nu rsing Leadership and Management Concepts and Practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia F.A. Davis.