I chose Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing to read for my interpersonal project. As a pre-nursing student, this book helped me to understand concepts we learned in class and how they apply more specifically to my major. A section I found applied most to me both as a student and a future nurse is titled “Stress and Time Management”.
Summary
In the chapter titled “Stress and Time Management”, authors Sullivan and Decker delve into an issue which is a key concept for nurses; those who are both working and those are still studying to be nurses in school. Some may believe that stress is just an inconvenience, or something to get rid of. However, this is untrue. Stress is usually caused by poor management skills. To become a leader in the nursing field, these are skills that are vital to master. Stress is also a vital and lasting part of our lives, helping to motivate us toward our goals; it itself is unavoidable, yet with the right skills, we can learn how to handle it as well as minimize it in our lives. There are several ways we can learn to handle stress in our day to day lives. These ways include setting priorities, exercising self discipline, as well as other more concrete ways that include organizational methods and time analysis. Improving time management skills as well as implementing consistent habits to help keep organized, stress can become an effective tool in our endeavors to reach our goals as nurses, both in the workplace and outside.
Workload of the staff nurse can be heavy and in order to decrease stress and avoid burnout, nurses must learn to prioritize. Prioritization is a skill that nurses need to obtain to make the very best use of their time. It is also important because the better nurses can manage and use their time, the less stress they will have because they can do their job when they are supposed to do it. To manage time, nurses “need to create an environment supportive of time management and patient care” (Kelly, 2008, p. 393). To help manage time, nurses must set priorities. Kelly (2008) advices nurses use the “first thing first principle.” When a nurse realizes that certain things are more urgent than others, they can better manage their time to care for their patients in the time necessary. Kelly (2008), explained that
Workload was described to be heavy, stressful, increase in intensity and overtime hours. As a result 25.8% consider resigning, 20.2% consider retiring and 25.6% consider leaving profession. Another problem that was observed at individual level was poor commitment to care. One of the factors that often limited nurses to provide therapeutic care was the change in nurse to patient ratio. As nurses assignments increase with the increase in the number of patients (i.e. 1 nurse to 6-8 patients) the quality of care provided decreases. Nurses’ ability to maintain safe environment became challenging. As part of caring, nurses also showed decreased amount of time spent with their patient. This eventually led to nurses being less satisfied with their current job. Self – efficacy was often low. Nurses felt that they did not have enough knowledge and skills required for professional practice (Newhouse, Hoffman, & Hairston, 2007). This often led into stressful transition and the ability to care for a patient even harder. New graduate nurses often had difficulty maintaining leadership role. They often felt that they did not have the ability to self advocate and raise their voice to be heard by others. They often feared that they would be over heard and that no one would listen to them (Mooney, 2007).
Stress is a big factor in everyday life. It influences how we approach life and events. Stress is why people run tight schedules and diet regularly. The power stress has is a negative effect over our brain and our body. Many people do not understand how to cope with stress. Therefore, people suffer from physical illness due to stress. Learning is not taking place when someone undergoes stress.
Time management is an important aspect of every individual’s life as everyone should prioritize their responsibilities, and ensure that there is the appropriate amount of time for everything. In fact, time is the regulator of almost all activities and it is something you always lose but can never get back. Many individuals wish that they had more time or could re-live certain moments and use their time wisely. However, in the healthcare profession every second is essential and it is important for the nursing leadership to utilize the appropriate time management techniques. In nursing leadership, time management involves the control and regulation of time that is spent on different activities with the aim of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the nursing staff. Nursing leadership involves the appropriate utilization of time. The paper will provide an illustration of the importance of time management in nursing. In addition, it will also analyze the difference between leadership and management and how the two roles utilize time management in their respective jobs.
Work related stress has an impact on the health and wellbeing of nurse’s. It is a response to work demands, and pressure that may not match the employee’s knowledge, skills or ability and challenge their ability to cope (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2017). Stress within the workforce is regarded
The profession of nursing is usually described as high-demand job, as well as stressful. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses believes that nurses can empower their work environments and truly make a difference (AACN, 2016). Although nurses have the ability to join committees and help make changes slowly, there are many factors in the nursing that cannot be changed by nurses. “The global increase in the aged population, the intensity of health care problems, the incidence of chronic illnesses and advanced technology, nurses are faced with a variety of work-related stressors” (Lambert & Lambert, 2008, p. 38). Regardless of nursing communication and social aspects of units, nurses need to accept some stressors as they are and
Leadership is essential in providing excellent health care in nursing. Being a nurse is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it easy to develop leadership skills that will enable a nurse to become the best that he or she can become in their career. High demands of taking care of patience that are in critical condition to the typical situations that cause nurses to carry heavy workloads. All of these aspects can contribute to pressure and stress in the work place when not handled correctly. According to two articles; the first article was written by Elizabeth A. Curtis, “Developing leadership in nursing: the impact of education and training.” The second article “Obstacles and problems of ethical leadership from the perspective
Nursing is more demanding than many other professions or occupations, as a result of the combination of sicker patients, exhausting schedules and arduous physical work (Gordon 235). It can take a significant emotional toll on many, hence the higher levels of depression and stress-related illnesses (Gordon, Buchanan, and Bretherton 190). Higher workloads not only were related to burnout, but also impacted both the nurses’ and the patients’ safety (Gordon, Buchanan, and Bretherton 191).
Leaders are an integral part of society, as they are the ones that are tasked with motivating, improving, observing, and ensuring that jobs are completed in an accurate and effective manner. The same can be said about leaders within the nursing industry. The following research paper will examine the differences between management and leadership within the nursing field, the importance of effective leadership throughout a healthcare organization, leadership theories that contribute to a positive work environment, a personal reflection on leadership type and specific behaviors that shall be developed in order to become a successful leader, including various resources available to assist in leadership development.
There are numerous elements that contribute to stress in the healthcare setting. Nurses’ days are full of physical, mental and emotional demands. There are societal demands and workplace demands created by the shortage. These stressors can become increasingly overwhelming and if there is no stress relief, job performance can and will be hindered. When fatigue and stress combine there is potential for “performance decrements”. This can include diminished capacity to manage a specific level of workload resulting in errors in the delivery of nursing care. This can produce damaging effects on the safety and advantageous outcomes for both the nurses and patients. (Reese, 2011). Therefore, finding a balance between lowering stress levels of
Nurses are especially vulnerable to several related effects of stress, such as burnout, job dissatisfaction, increased interpersonal problems, increased health complaints, disturbances in sleep patterns, as well as clinical depression and anxiety (Villani, Grassi, Cognetta, Toniolo, Cipresso, & Riva, 2013). The potential for stress can be reduced by resolving difficulties in the workplace promptly, addressing staff shortages, turnover and absenteeism, and developing clear objectives and plans (McIntosh, & Sheppy, 2013). Learning to manage and reduce stress by developing insight and coping strategies will help to maintain and promote nursing integrity and consistent patient care (McIntosh, & Sheppy, 2013).
A way one can manage stress is to build their physical reserves. This includes exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging), eat well-balanced, nutritious meals, maintain your ideal weight, avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants, mix leisure with work, take breaks and get away when you can, get enough sleep, and finally be as consistent with your sleep schedule as possible.
Stress today can be described as "that which disturbs a person's mental and physical well-being" (Morrison 1). Common symptoms of stress include chronic fatigue, changes in appetite, drug and/or alcohol abuse, difficulty sleeping, body aches, and changes in emotions (Cooper 1-2). And although stress is something that is inevitable, it can be controlled. Just about everything we do today creates stress, both good and bad. In the face paced and technological world we live in, stress management is key to survival as well as sanity.
Time management is a major way to reduce stress. If you can keep a schedule of the things you need to do and when you have to do them, this can open time for yourself. Try to focus on the important task and then do the little things. (3.) Many stress experts suggest that you begin your fight against stress by defining your values. (4.) Don’t think that everything has to be perfect. If you are a perfectionist you fuel a variety of stress-producing qualities. (4.)
HOW TO COUNTER THIS STRESS: Effective and efficient time management, collaboration of work ethics, social and emotional intelligence, prioritizing, goal setting, physiological resiliency (eat right to think right) and so on.