Shadowing nurse leaders prepares healthcare professionals for their future managerial
positions. Through the observation process, clinical workers observe the relevant skills and
expertise that a clinical manager needs to foster productivity in an organization. The opportunity
to shadow Jorge Diaz, the Director of Nursing at All Around Home Health Agency, Inc. and my
nurse manager, was quite exceptional as it made me realize the knowledge that a leader needs to
overcome the obstacles in the sector. Through this experience, I learned the relevance of
employing the most efficient leadership style. At first, my impression of my nurse manager was
that Diaz performed similar roles to the ones assigned to other healthcare workers. However,
after the interaction, I realized that the leadership position is more demanding than I thought.
Consequently, the entire shadowing process revealed that healthcare leaders could only foster the
quality of care if they possess the best skills and utilize the most appropriate leadership style.
Observations
The transformational leadership style enables Diaz to manage conflicts among workers at
the healthcare organization effectively. Through this model, the nurse leader creates healthy
relationships among the staff to nurture efficient interaction (Sfantou et al., 2017). For example,
in one of the situations, an employee brought conflict to the nurse leader explaining his challenge
of interacting with a coworker due to political differences. While he respected the opinion of his
peer, the complainant explained that political discussions at the workplace created a hostile
environment. In this case, Diaz called both workers at the office to sermon them. The manager
was effective in addressing the situation as he utilized the transformational leadership style. Diaz
explained the need for both workers to observe high professional standards at the workplace.
However, to strengthen the relationship between the two, Diaz assigned them an assignment to
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collect statistics on the number of patients with chronic diseases within the Floridian population.
Thus, transformational leaders focus on strengthening relationships to enhance collaboration.
A practical model of leadership should promote productivity in the workplace. In another
conflict, an employee approached Diaz on a Wednesday afternoon complaining about the
increased workload at her department in All Around Home Agency, Inc. The staff complained
that most employees in the department had taken their monthly leaver, which had left her
overwhelmed by work. As a transformational leader, Diaz was effective in handling the mater as
he focused on boosting the morale of this complainant to resolve the conflict (Sfantou et al.,
2017). The nurse leader promised the staff a possible promotion in the next two months if she
persevered with the current demands of the workplace. This resolution was a source of
motivation for the nurse to increase her productivity. Thus, boosting worker’s confidence and
morale are significant aspects of the transformational leadership style.
Reflections
My perceptions about the role of a nurse leader before and after the shadowing
experience were significantly different. Before attending the observation sessions for my nurse
leader, my impression was that the manager had similar roles to the ones assigned to the typical
healthcare practitioners. However, this perception changed as I discovered that the position is
even more demanding and requires critical thinking skills to overcome all obstacles in the
healthcare sector. Nonetheless, I identified that the time management skills of the leader are core
in the smooth running of the clinical facility. Through the experience, I observed how leaders
utilize these skills to prioritize on both individual and organizational needs (Farrell, 2017). In
cases when the duties became overwhelming, then, these skills remained indispensable to avoid
potential crises at the organization. Consequently, my impression of the role of a nurse leader
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changed significantly as I identified the time management and creativity demands in the smooth
running of a healthcare agency.
My leadership style resonates with that of a nurse leader at All Around Home Health
Agency, Inc. Similar to Diaz, I prefer establishing effective relationships with followers when I
have obtained a leadership position. I identified that I utilize the transformational model because
it involves contributing to organizational knowledge and building an influential culture
(Ghasabeh & Provitera, 2017). In previous management positions, I have been focusing on
improving the knowledge of my team members and promoting healthy relationships among
them. I feel that this style complements a healthcare facility because it improves inter-
professional collaboration. Diaz’s leadership skills are paramount in fostering improved clinical
outcomes. For example, while All-Around Home Health Agency had numerous financial
commitments, Diaz’s flexibility skills were applicable as he directed the need to prioritize on
COVID-19 safety when the epidemic began. In another situation, Diaz employed written
communication skills to alert healthcare workers of possible software maintenance in the
agency’s electronic health record system. Incorporating transformational leadership with
flexibility and strategic communication skills compliments the effectiveness of a healthcare
facility.
Professional Development
Although I would wish to secure the nursing manager’s position, I would still need to
gather the relevant experience by first working as an assistant in the office. The experience I
obtained after interacting with Diaz was quite revealing of the demanding nature of this docket. I
prefer to work on the position because the docket is at the center of the quality and safety of care.
As nursing practitioners must observe the ethical principles that focus on meeting the needs of
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the patient population, accepting the nurse manager role resonates with my goals of professional
development (Haddad & Geiger, 2020). However, I would first need to improve my time
management skills to balance both professional requirements and personal life. Secondly, while I
have relevant communication skills, I would still need to polish them for effective interaction
with the employees. As a significant type of professional development, the job shadowing
experience would help me polish my weaknesses as far as the top position is concerned. More so,
simulation programs would also develop me professionally because they will boost my
confidence. Although I have a significant interest in the nursing leadership position, I need first
to address my weaknesses as they may hinder my goal of becoming a competent manager.
Summary
Leadership positions in the nursing sector have significant demanding roles, which claims
the manager’s skills, professionalism, and competence. Although I may wish to obtain such a
position in the current workplace, I still need to attend more shadowing sessions and engage in
simulation procedures to sharpen my skills. The experience of observing Diaz, my nurse
manager, revealed the role of strategic leadership in resolving conflicts in the nursing sector
workplace. More so, Diaz employs strategic time management skills to prioritize individual and
organization matters. The leader’s approach to various crisis at the workplace reveals the
importance of transformational leadership in the smooth running of an organization.
Fundamentally, incorporating the best management model with the appropriate skills and
expertise promotes organizational performance, which also fosters the quality and safety of care.
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References
Farrell, M. (2017). Time management. Journal of Library Administration, 57(2), 215-222.
Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1080/01930826.2017.1281666
Ghasabeh, M., & Provitera, M. (2017). Transformational leadership: Building an effective
culture to manage organisational knowledge. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership,
10(2), 1-19.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/dd7c/e38da908a1db02d569bb5a7a68b1cc1a8eab.pdf
Haddad, L., & Geiger, R. (2020). Nursing ethical considerations. Stat Pearls Publishing.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/
Sfantou, D., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou, E.
(2017). Importance of leadership style towards quality of care measures in healthcare
settings: A systematic review. Healthcare (Basel), 5(4), 73.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5040073