Nursing Leadership Topics

Compendium of Leadership Topics This compendium contains a comprehensive study of eleven leadership topics. These topics will be discussed individually through a literature synthesis followed by an application of the leadership topics in a practical setting. The eleven leadership topics will by synthesized utilizing supplemental readings provided throughout the course. Topics to be discussed include organizational climate and culture, communication and emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, decision making, fiscal responsibility, influence versus power & leadership and management, innovations, systems thinking, and change management, policy and advocacy, quality and safety, retention and succession planning, and professional membership

Organizational climate refers to an employee’s perception of the work environment. It can have a direct effect on an employee’s behavior. Most studies have focused on how organizational climate affects care outcomes rather than processes of nursing care. Workload had the most critical influence on nurses’ caring practices. This workload could be exacerbated or mitigated by aspects of team functioning. Harmony, cooperation, and role clarity were essential to a nurses’ performance of caring practices. Having managers whom promoted caring practices and acknowledge the time nurses and other team members invested in patients was important to promote caring practices. Of the type of care practices most likely to be dropped, emotional support and teaching, were included. These two caring practices are vital and take a large portion of time. By not providing these two care practices, patients are not fully benefiting from the care provided by their nurses (Roch, Dubois, & Clarke,

Having effective leadership improves patient safety and satisfaction, as well as decrease mortality. Turnover is high among first-line leaders, such as nurse managers. There is an increased need for developing strategies to ensure adequate leadership among nurse managers. It is imperative that nursing leaders develop nurse manager succession planning. Younger generations do not have much interest in leadership positions, which further impacts the leadership crisis. To find an effective leader, determining short and long-term goals of individuals is important to decipher if individuals fit in and enhance the organization. Mentoring and coaching, as well as providing formal leadership development are important factors in both retention of nursing leaders and succession planning for future nurse leaders (Titzer, Phillips, Tooley, Hall, & Shirey,