Leadership Essay

Leadership Essay

I interviewed Valarie Aiken, the Nurse Manager at Providence Saint John’s Health Center – Santa Monica, California.

1. Please share the arch of your nursing career

Response: Soon after I graduated from nursing school, I began practicing as an ADN and worked in a progressive care unit for two years. It was like a cardiac step-down. After the two years, I was promoted to become the hospital staffing coordinator, a position I found so fascinating. It was while at this position that I was chosen to pilot a new nursing role in the hospital and monitored bed coordinators. After my exemplary performance, I was promoted to my current position barely two years after the first promotion. As a young nurse, I always thought that bedside nursing was the only thing that was open to me. Since expanding my view of what nurses can do, I believe there are many avenues in nursing for one to advance.

• What has been your biggest challenge as a nurse leader?

Response: Being a leader is sometimes challenging especially when everybody working below you has this mentality that ‘our leader has the solutions to every problem we have.’ As a result, I have had to deal with many cases of indiscipline among my team members. The challenge here is taking stern actions as stipulated by hospital regulations against those found culpable of misconduct such as unnecessary absenteeism. Some of them take it personal but I have always reminded them that it is my duty to guide every team member in the desired direction of the hospital all aimed at improving service delivery. While some nurses have heeded to my advice, others hold grudges against me but I take it as part of my responsibilities.

• What do you enjoy most about being a nurse manager?

Response: The most fascinating part of this position for me is the fact that I can make a positive impact on people’s lives especially those we are in the same profession. When I positively influence the thought patterns of my team members, patients, and those around me outside of the workplace I derive fulfillment (Weiss et al., 2019).

• How do you as a nurse manager stay on top of current developments and trends in the healthcare industry?

Response: As a nurse leader, staying informed of the emerging trends and developments in the healthcare industry is one of the requirements of being an effective leader. I set aside time every week to read medical articles and other relevant information available that keeps me updated with the latest developments in the healthcare field and every year I attend the annual conference by the American Nursing Association. The internet has come in handy to provide the most up-to-date information regarding such aspects as emerging technologies including the use of artificial intelligence and big data in healthcare and the most recent research in the medical and nursing fields. I also regularly consult with experts in the field to gain more understanding of the current trends and to find out the need for any certifications or additional training that may make me a better nurse leader (Weiss et al., 2019). Besides, I am currently enrolled in an online continuing education course.

• What is your view on the ongoing debate about nurse-to-patient law that was passed in California two decades ago?

Response: When the law was passed I was still in school desiring to study nursing. I supported the issue of mandated staffing ratios from the onset and I still do. It is the single most effective nursing reform to protect patients and retain nurses by improving their working environment (California Healthcare Foundation, 2009), and critics should swallow their pride because the results, in terms of how patient care has improved and nursing staff turnover rates, have proven them wrong. Although the implementation of the law has had its fair share of challenges, those still opposed to it are misguided.

• What do you think of electronic health records? Have they improved patient care and enhanced the working conditions of healthcare providers?

Response: Electronic health records are an ongoing technological transformation that is shaping healthcare around the globe. With this technology, the overwhelming paperwork that was on the nurse’s table has reduced significantly and as a result, the nurse has more time at the bedside taking care of patients as opposed to spending time filing and retrieving information from paper files. Patient information can easily be retrieved at the touch of a button by both the care team and the patient and this is a good thing.

• What is your organizational culture as far as the provision of healthcare services is concerned?

Response: Our organization emphasizes on quality performance and supportiveness. All our staffs strive to offer the best services to our clients as much as possible while being supportive of each other in varying situations. We exhibit a high-level of teamwork and this is our strength.

• How would you describe your leadership style?

Response: I always want to be a good example to those that I lead (Weber et al., 2015). Seeing my team members succeed by doing what I expect them to do makes me happy.

• Do you have any regrets about holding the position of nurse manager?

Response: Not at all. I enjoy what I do and I love it. The more the challenges I face, the better I become.

1. What advice do you have for future nurse leaders?

Response: Be ready for challenges ahead and how to navigate them. In all your endeavors, always remember that you are first a nurse and should be the voice for the patient.