Every nurse is expected to possess management abilities to be able to handle their daily responsibilities in an effective manner. It is the only way in which we as nurses can make the health care sector a better place for everyone. Regardless of the expectations that are required from me to achieve, as a nurse, I have my strengths and weaknesses that I can relate with well. In regards to personal and professional accountability, I possess competent experience/skill in most of the areas. As a nurse, I adhere to ethical practice and behavior based on the nursing standards and scopes. I consider this quality as strength because not every nurse will remain accountable and ethical at the same time. When it comes to professional association, I have novice experience something that I consider as a weakness. However, so far I am doing well and can attest that I have competent experience in personal development and growth.
Career planning is an element that every nurse should possess to be successful in this field (Tomajan, 2012). I know my roles which mean that I understand my job requirements making it easy for me to do the right thing. I have expert practice in this skill making it my personal strength. On the other hand, I know where I want to be in future in regards to my career. It will take a lot of practice to get me where I want to be and fit perfectly. I possess competent skill in this sector which I consider as strength. I already have a plan on the direction I want to take and I count myself lucky because not everyone at this stage will possess such strength.
On the road to the future, personal journey discipline is necessary. However, this skill/experience is important even in my current position as a nurse. All it takes is a little effort and sense of direction to get where you want to be within a period of time. Currently, I have competent experience in action learning. I can use various techniques to reflect on various decisions and solve patient and personal problems. I see this as strength because there are many instances where I have made a reflective decision which turned out positively. However, I have novice experience in shared leadership which is something I need to work on to promote my skills as a leader in future. Though, I do believe that I have a competent skill in reflecting things as a leader which is a behavior necessary to cope up with nursing practice. This knowledge strengthens me as an individual.
As a nurse, it is important to reflective on practice reference behaviors such as holding on to the truth which I believe is an ethical behavior that must be adhered since it is a measure of integrity. I am an expert in holding on to the truth, appreciating diversity and ambiguity, I really judge people without perspectives. Some of my other strengths include discovering my potential as an individual, nurturing my emotions and intellectuals. However, I am trying hard to learn the aspects of adventure for knowledge because most of the time I stay committed to my work. This though does not deter me from keeping myself committed. I have the power to create balance as a way to renew my spirit whenever I am low.
Recognizing my strengths and weakness means that I identify with who I am as a nurse and as an individual. This puts me in a better position to exercise my skills and at the same time look for ways in which I can better myself as a nurse and as an individual. As a current leader in my field of study, I intend to use my skill to promote change in the workplace. This is because I believe that change is necessary and mandatory in life. I also believe that by advocating for change, I will be able to make an impact in a positive way as a leader and also in my profession to better the lives of other people.
Some of the ways which I intend to use my leadership skill for promoting change is by working together with my colleagues to create an environment of understanding and also to develop trust with my patients. In the field of nursing understanding and trust is important in promoting success. When my employees trust me as a leader, they will not fear to accept change or recognize it (Garner, 2011). It will also be easy for them to make suggestions regarding what kind of change which they want to see in the work place. I believe that my full potential as a nurse and as a leader cannot be identified by my strengths alone, but also the ways in which I influence other people. Good communication, collaboration, and ability to influence are some of the ways in which I can solve problems easily as a leader in the workplace.
My personal goal that I would like to achieve as a leader is the ways in which I can affect change away from the workplace. This will be the ultimate determination of my potential as a leader. It will show that I have not only good employees, but have created a working relation with my employees such that I do not have to be present for change to happen. My implementation plan to achieve this goal is to develop a good relationship with my employees that lead to trust.
References
Garner, C. (2011, Sep. 26). Leadership skills are a must for today’s nurses.