Clinical Nurse Leaders: A Case Study

For decades, something was missing in patient care. Crucial quality and safety-improvement professionals involved in healthcare delivery were formerly not located in the places where care was actually provided. This often resulted in a disconnect that fragmented healthcare quality, safety, and improvement. According to Reid and Dennison, in their article The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)®: Point-of-Care Safety Clinician, “The role of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)® restores this vital connection. The CNL is a clinician who brings the locus of control for safe and quality care from the administrative areas straight to the unit’s providers who deliver the services. “

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) white paper in 2007 proposed a new role in nursing: Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) to improve the health care outcomes (Sotomayor, 2017). The aim of the CNL is to utilize a master prepared nurse to practice across the continuum of care within diverse healthcare setting in today’s changing healthcare environment (AACN, 2013).

You make great points analyzing the evolution of Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). It was interesting to learn that the CNL was the first new role in nursing since the nurse practitioner was introduced over many years ago. “The CNL evolved after the AACN convened a task force to identify ways to improve quality of patient care and determine how to prepare nurses with the skills and competencies needed to thrive in the current and future healthcare system” (Stavrianopoulos, 2012). In the health care organizations, CNLs play a significant role and are responsible for patient outcomes by applying evidence-based practices. They design, implement, and evaluate patient care by coordinating, delegating, and supervising the care provided by the healthcare

identify the educational preparation and role(s) of the clinical nurse leader (CNL) designation. Give an example of how the CNL influences direct patient care whether in a hospital or out in the community.

Today professional nursing leaders are multifaceted; they teach, mentor and motivate the staff to do more with less all while balancing the financial restrictions found in healthcare. The nurse leaders of today must learn from the past, absorb the present, and prepare for the future. As healthcare in America changes, so too does the nursing profession and the nursing leaders have the responsibility to keep up with the changes.

When one thinks of leaders, they think of those who hold a high profile position or someone who is highly visible in the public eye. A leader, regardless of prestige is someone who can easily influence and inspire the actions and goals of others. The definition of a leader in Nursing Leadership and Management in Nursing states, “leadership is commonly defined as a process of influence in which the leader influences others towards goal achievement (Kelly, 2012 p.2). Leaders are needed at all levels and nurses take a leadership role by being advocates for their patients. There are many leadership theories and styles in nursing but this paper will focus on transformational leadership and its application to nursing. Transformational leadership is important in nursing, due to its ever changing and ever evolving healthcare methods and technology.

This paper aims to address and discuss about the leadership and management of the nurse leader interviewed. This experience was a great opportunity to witness first hand how a nurse leader cultivate and manage their staffs in real life setting. Moreover, it provides a great access to gain insight and knowledge about nurse leaders’ vital responsibilities and role diversities in the organizations they work with. Nurse leaders pay more specific and close attention in handling the staffs and most importantly, patient care.

In my future role as an advance practice nurse I will be spending my time interacting with patients discussing their complaints

In both case studies, I think you have done an excellent job identifying the patients’ risk factors. As a Clinical Nurse Leader it is important to educate patients on both modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors. You identified modifiable risk factors like obesity, physical activity and tobacco use. You also identified a non-modifiable risk factor: family history. Some other non-modifiable risk factors are: age, gender, and ethnicity.

As a student nurse we are challenged throughout the course of our education to become leaders among our peers, in the workplace, and within the community. According to the Institute of Medicine (2011) leadership skills are learned and mastered over time, and it is important to obtain a basic understanding of these skills beginning in school. Leadership can occur at any level within an organization and can be defined as a person that possesses qualities such as courage, innovation, trust, commitment, teamwork, communication, values relationships, and who engages others to share in their dedication (Porter O-Grady & Malloch, 2016). Leaders and managers differ because managers are usually in an authoritative role and produce orderliness and consistency, while leaders tend to generate change and movement through creativity (Porter O-Grady & Malloch, 2016). A clinical leader identified in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) is my preceptor. She was recognized as a nurse leader, because she strives to promote innovative changes on the unit, through knowledge, teamwork, and advocacy. According to Kumar, Kumar, Deshmukh, and Adhish (2015), an effective leader makes an active effort to improve their skills and knowledge, stay current in their field, and promote creativeness and collaboration among their peers.

Throughout this communication course I have learned and attempted to apply new skills in communication and group interactions. I have collaborated with nursing and healthcare leadership professionals on a project to improve communication and health outcomes for a specific population. As our group has formed and developed during this quarter, I have identified strengths and weaknesses in my ability to work within a group. The four stages of a group, as described by Connery and Vohs (2006) will be discussed as they pertained to my perception of the group process and outcomes this quarter. My communication strengths, weaknesses, and my adoption of the informal roles outlined by Connery and Vohs (2006) with regard to group work will be analyzed as well as my plan for utilizing my strengths and addressing my weaknesses for future interactions and group work.

#3. It is 2025, identify the types of roles nurse leaders have in healthcare. You will want to discuss their scope and competencies they need to have to do the work.

In Godin’s, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, he explores foundational leadership characteristics, the role of followers, and the importance of overcoming criticism. These themes can function as guiding principles for both charge nurses and staff nurses who wish to become effective leaders. Additionally, these characteristics of a leader can be applied to my own practice and pursuit of becoming an excellent nurse and leader. By grasping and applying these ideas, I feel better equipped to be the nurse I want to become. I will be discussing what it takes to be a good leader, the importance of followers, and the reasons why one should not fear criticism.

There are many skills, traits, and behaviors one must possess in order to be an effective leader. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has compiled a list of competencies and skills that nurse leaders should be proficient in. The five competency domains identified by AONE (2011) are “communication and relationship building, knowledge of health care environment, leadership skills, professionalism, and business skills” (p. 3). The competency domain I believe is essential for one to possess in order to be an effective executive nurse leader is communication and relationship building. The competencies AONE (2011) listed under the domain communication and relationship building are “effective communication, relationship management, influence of behavior, ability to work with diversity, shared decision-making, community involvement, medical staff relationship, and academic relationships” (p.3). I will discuss how Tom (nurse manager of a psychiatric unit) did not meet these specific characteristics under that domain.

Observing and analyzing my leader opened my eyes to the amount of responsibility and knowledge one needs to be a great leader. These responsibilities that were witnessed during the shadowing project included aspects of role modeling, mentoring and educating fellow staff and colleagues alike. My leader possessed a well-rounded amount of experience, skills and knowledge about nursing and her management role. All of these aspects we observed and I feel my leader is not only strong nurse, manger and mentor; all these aspects contribute to making her a fine and valuable assets to our organization.