After years of hard work, you are finally being offered a chance to step into a healthcare leadership position. This is a big moment, and definitely cause for celebration; leadership is a profound responsibility and indicates recognition and appreciation for your hard work. After all, transitioning into leadership is no easy task, and there are many things to consider as you work into your new healthcare role.
As a nurse leader, many of your patient related tasks will remain the same. However, you will now be responsible for making sure everyone on the floor is doing their job effectively, building strong workplace relationships, and handling any disputes that come up.
There are many important aspects to becoming a strong leader including great communication, an openness to new ideas, and a focus on building a collaborative environment. However, this is one that many healthcare professionals are uniquely qualified for.
Communicating with Your Team
Strong communication skills are essential to becoming a successful nurse leader. You will be responsible for communicating any changes in day to day work schedules, patient care initiatives, or alterations in workplace policies. Because how effectively you are able to communicate these things may directly impact employee performance and quality of care received, it is imperative you are clear and straightforward.
When changes do occur, there will most certainly be many questions. It becomes your job to answer them honestly and will as much precision as you can. Doing so can help to prevent confusion across the unit or distrust in management staff that is bred when employees feel as though they are not getting all of the information. Remember, you were recently in a normal employee position rather than a leadership position yourself, try to put yourself in other people’s shoes when you are delivering new information.
Building a Collaborative Environment
Communicating with your team is one important aspect of being a successful nurse leader, but an equally valuable skill is the ability to foster collaboration amongst teammates. One of the best ways to do this is to actively encourage staff member participation in both planning and enacting new ideas. A lack of enthusiasm or feelings that the healthcare facility doesn’t care about its employees is responsible for significant decreases in productivity, morale, and patient outcomes as well as noticeable increases in stress of nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Encouraging teamwork within a healthcare facility can help address multiple challenges that are present in every workplace. Collaboration within a team setting has been shown to help balance strengths and weaknesses among employees, create an environment of accountability, and reduce stress. All of these benefits can increase the quality of care for patients and reduce the number of conflicts that can arise between employees.
Remain Open to New Ideas
Finally, as you adjust to your new role as a nurse leader, it will be critical to maintain an open door policy and remain receptive of new ideas. Numerous studies have indicated that, alongside honest communication, one of the most important qualities of a manager to employees is empathy. Empathy is essentially the ability to listen to what employees have to say and attempt to see problems or difficult situations from their point of view.
Developing empathy early on in your leadership position will be a powerful tool for resolving issues that come up as well as building valuable trust. Furthermore, a relationship with fellow nurses and other healthcare professionals based upon honesty and empathy can facilitate a greater willingness to share and implement new ideas.
Often times, many nurses are hesitant to suggest new ideas for fear of being completely disregarded or worse. Resolving these fears can be a profound means to improve workflow, boost productivity, and benefit patients.
Stepping into a healthcare leadership role can be both an exciting and a challenging transition. Every new leader has a steep learning curve, and to be successful it is important to be considerate of the ways you communicate information. Additionally, be willing to work towards building a strong team environment and remaining open to any new ideas that are brought to you.