Tips for Nurses to Manage a Leadership Role

Over the years, the nursing profession has evolved, and nurses are now taking on more responsibility than ever before. Many nurses are now in leadership positions, managing teams of nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Moreover, the Affordable Care Act has put even more pressure on nurses in the US to provide quality care, often with limited resources. It means that nurses need to be able to provide not only excellent patient care but also be able to manage and lead their teams effectively.

Are you a nurse currently in a leadership role or aspiring to be a leader in nursing? Here are a few tips to help you successfully manage your team and deliver quality patient care:

1. Be an effective communicator

Communication is critical in any leadership role. As a nurse leader, you must communicate effectively with your team, other healthcare professionals, and patients. Ensure you’re clear and concise when communicating instructions or expectations to your team. Be available to answer questions and address concerns.

Effective communication is essential for providing quality patient care. As a leader, you must listen to all concerns and ideas, as well as be able to share your own vision and goals for the team. In addition, you need to be able to communicate with other members of the healthcare team, such as doctors and administrators.

The top tier of communication is what is termed “transformational leadership.” It involves inspiring your team to work towards a common goal. Especially when it comes to director-level nurses and those in senior management, they must have this skill to ensure their teams are cohesive and working together efficiently. A director of nursing oversees an entire nursing staff, so they must have this skill, which also reflects in the duties of a charge nurse. The director of nursing salary is higher than other management positions because this job requires more experience and education. Their median salary, on average, is around $104,280, whereas the highest goes up to $195,630 per annum. 

2. Be a good role model

As a leader, you need to set an example for your team. It means being professional at all times and leading by example.

If you want your team to be respectful to patients, you must be polite to patients. Your team will look up to you and follow your lead, so you must set a good example. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect. Making mistakes is okay, as long as you learn from them. Leaders always learn and continuously strive to improve.

3. Be decisive

One of the essential qualities of a leader is decisiveness. As a leader, you need to be able to make decisions quickly and confidently.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should never consult with your team. But when it comes to making decisions, you need to be able to act quickly and decisively. Also, when you make a decision, explain your reasoning to your team so they can understand and support it. There may always be an exception to the rule, but a leader generally needs to be decisive.

4. Be supportive

A good leader is supportive of their team. It means providing guidance and advice while allowing your team to work independently.

Creating a supportive environment where your team feels comfortable asking for help when they need it is essential. At the same time, you need to trust your team to do their jobs and not micromanage them. Besides offering support when needed, a good leader also knows when to step back and let their team take the lead.

5. Be open to feedback

Feedback is often seen as negative, but leaders need to be open to feedback. This feedback can come from your team, patients, or other healthcare team members.

Listening to feedback and using it to improve your team’s performance is essential. Feedback should be a positive tool to help you and your team grow and improve.

6. Be flexible

The healthcare industry is constantly changing, and you must be flexible as a leader. It means being open to new ideas and willing to change how you do things.

For example, you may need to change how you communicate with your team or manage patient care. As a leader, you need to be open to change and willing to adapt to new situations.

7. Be patient

Leadership isn’t easy, and it takes time to develop the necessary skills. As a leader, you must be patient with yourself and your team. It’s important to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and that’s okay. What’s important is that you learn from your mistakes and continue to strive for excellence.

8. Be knowledgeable

Once you become a leader, you will have a lot of people who look up to you. As a result, it’s essential to be knowledgeable and stay up-to-date on the latest information.

It means staying current on new research, patient care developments, and healthcare industry changes. A good leader is constantly learning and trying to improve their knowledge. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to know everything. Leaders should also be able to admit when they don’t know something and be willing to learn from others.

9. Be passionate

Passion is one of the essential qualities of a leader. Passionate leaders can inspire and motivate their teams.

When you’re passionate about your work, it shows in your actions and attitude. Your team will see your passion and be more likely to follow your lead.

10. Be resilient

Leaders must be resilient. It means being able to handle setbacks and continue working towards your goals.

There will be times when things don’t go as planned, and you’ll need to be able to bounce back. Resilient leaders can maintain their focus and determination in the face of adversity.

Summary

The more you know about leadership, the better equipped you’ll be to take on a leadership role. These tips for nurses will help you develop the necessary skills to be a successful leader. Of course, leadership isn’t something that you can learn overnight. It takes time, effort, and practice to develop the necessary skills. However, if you’re willing to do the work, you can become an effective leader.