Benchmark-Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management

Benchmark-Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management

One of the workplace issues that has been there for a long time and has refused to go is workplace bullying. With various initiatives used over the years to contain the situation, one would imagine or guess that workplace bullying would diminish or be eliminated. However, in nursing, data shows that it has been on the rise. In one of the reports, some nurses opined that their workplace is comparable to a battlefield and that the environment is a professional turmoil. To make matters worse, the harmful effects of the problem have not received the attention it deserves, and therefore it is troubling (Karatuna et al., 2020). Workplace bullying is one of the aggressive acts usually taking the form of enduring and repetitive actions towards an individual or group of individuals by another person or group of people having power over their target. Some of the known forms of workplace bullying include threats, information retention, and sometimes rumor spreading. The perpetrator can be subordinate, colleague, or superior of the victim.

Workplace bullying in clinical settings can have adverse effects on both the affected individuals and the patients under the nurses’ care. Bullying has been connected to mental health impairment and physical health impairment. Besides, bullying can also lead to work-related issues such as diminished job satisfaction, lower job commitment, higher chances, and enhanced intention to lead. It is vital to note that the negative impacts of bullying on the nurses, in turn, have adverse effects on patient care as nurse poor performances may lead to other things like medical and medication errors.

Professional Standards of Practice and Bullying.

The substantial effects of bullying in clinical settings have promoted various nursing professional bodies to draft standards that can help in dealing with the issue. Besides, there are various local, State, and Federal standards of professional behavior that guide nurses on, among other things, workplace bullying and violence. One of such nursing professional bodies is the American nurse Association (ANA). ANA has various statements on workplace bullying, violence, and incivility. ANA affirms that nurses should strive to create an ethical culture and environment of kindness and civility and treat employees, co-workers, colleagues, and others with respect and dignity (Kim et al., 2019). On the other hand, nurses need to afford a similar level of dignity and respect. Such standards of practice can effectively be used to help in reducing workplace bullying in a clinical setting. Nurses should always be reminded of the professional standards of practices of showing respect to one another, and if followed, then bullying can be reduced and eliminated.

Role of Nursing Leaders and Nursing Managers in Controlling Bullying

Apart from professional bodies, local, State, and Federal regulations and efforts in controlling bullying in clinical settings, nursing leaders and nursing managers are expected to play roles and are playing various roles in the fight against bullying. One of the roles of nursing leaders and nursing managers is to confront the individual perpetrating bullying and discuss with him/her why he/she is doing such and if he/she knows that it is against the standards of nursing practice (Blackwood et al., 2017). The other method is supporting the bullying target through coaching and counseling. Such an action will help the victim to better deal with bullying better and cope with it in case it occurs again.

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS:Benchmark-Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management

In coaching, the nurse managers encourage the bullying target to actively get involved in efforts that can help resolve bullying. Nursing leaders and nurse managers can also act as mediators and provide mediation conversations between the conflicting parties. Mediation can effectively help the perpetrator to realize his/her mistake, stop it and reconcile with the victim (Blackwood et al., 2017). Nurse leaders and managers try to solve the bullying cases with their minds focused on helping the target regain trust in the system and be productive in their work hence ensuring patient safety. Some leadership theories can also explain the type of nurse leader who is likely to control better and manage workplace bullying. For example, in cases of transformational leaders, there are low levels and chances of harassment and bullying because they offer greater power, independence, and autonomy in the people that they lead.

Additional Aspects that Leaders and Managers Should Initiate

Even though nurse leaders have used various interventions to try and control workplace bullying in healthcare settings, there are various additional aspects that the leaders can initiate to help in better management of bullying. One of the methods is mandatory training. In mandatory training, the leaders and managers can set up a quarterly or yearly training session that every employee must attend (Fink-Samnick, 2015). In training, various topics on workplace bullying and repercussions should be covered. Another method is to improve the internal incident recording. Documenting various incidences of bullying can be invaluable when resolving later cases as it is possible to know whether a bully is repeating the mistake again, and therefore sterner measures can be taken in such instances. Provision of appropriate equipment such as attack alarms can also help in controlling bullying as potential perpetrators can easily be deterred from the action by knowing that their actions will not go unnoticed (Fink-Samnick, 2015). The nurse leaders and managers should also create additional codes of conduct to define what appropriate and acceptable behaviors are and what inappropriate and disruptive behaviors such as bullying entail, and the potential consequences of going against such codes of conduct.

Leadership Style That Can Help Deal with Bullying

From the leadership theories and qualities of various leaders as discussed by the theories, it is possible to identify the kind of leadership style that can best deal with bullying in clinical settings. Indeed, managers and leaders can permit, stop, engage in or prevent bullying based on the kind of behaviors that they hold back or show. So, they can only shape the progress of bullying in a workplace in various ways, just as their style of leadership impacts the bullying behavior. As indicated earlier, various research efforts have shown that transformational leadership positively impacts the well-being of employees (Woodrow & guest, 2017). Besides, the leadership style has been associated with reduced cases and chances of workplace bullying since the leaders themselves act as role models of positive working environment behaviors. Transformational leaders are in contrast with the influence of the Laissez-faire leadership style that has been shown to create health problems, burnout, and diminished job satisfaction. More importantly, the leadership style is connected to higher complaints of workplace bullying exposure. In the healthcare setting, a transformational leader can be hugely successful in managing bullying since a transformational leader is supportive and appreciate the employees. He/she would offer the necessary tools for copying the ever-demanding work stressors.

Conclusion

The management and dealing with workplace bullying in settings such as healthcare should be given priority as bullying has been associated with poor work performance by the nurses hence poor patient care. Nurse leaders and managers have a vital role to play in dealing with workplace bullying. So they need to be supportive and attentive so that they can calmly and soberly moderate demanding and complex situations that can easily escalate into workplace bullying and tension.

References

Blackwood, K., Bentley, T., Catley, B., & Edwards, M. (2017). Managing workplace bullying experiences in nursing: the impact of the work environment. Public Money & Management, 37(5), 349-356. Doi: 10.1080/09540962.2017.1328205.

Fink-Samnick, E. (2015). The new age of bullying and violence in health care: the interprofessional impact. Professional case management, 20(4), 165-174. Doi: 10.1097/NCM.0000000000000099

Karatuna, I., Jonsson, S., & Muhonen, T. (2020). Workplace bullying in the nursing profession: a cross-cultural scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 103628. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103628.

Kim, Y., Lee, E., & Lee, H. (2019). Association between workplace bullying and burnout, professional quality of life, and turnover intention among clinical nurses. PLoS one, 14(12), e0226506. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226506.

Woodrow, C., & Guest, D. E. (2017). Leadership and approaches to the management of workplace bullying. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(2), 221-233. Doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2016.1243529

Addressing Nurse Turnover

High turnover rates in nursing remain one of the most critical determinants of a healthcare organization. The rate and frequency that nurses or hospital workers join and leave affect the provision of healthcare directly or indirectly. The nursing profession is unique and demands practical as well as strategic leadership and management skills and approaches that will ensure new hires and experienced nurses are retained in a healthcare facility or organization (Wood, 2017). Imperatively, to tackle this issue, nursing leaders and managers need to interrogate the causes of high turnover and contributing situations. The high turnover rate of nurses emanates from a host of factors that require leaders in the profession as well as institutional managers to seek effective methods to minimize their occurrences. These include career advancement, retirement, increased workload, lack of life and work balance, rescheduling, and low nurse staffing ratios, among other issues (Hughe, 2017). Imperatively, this paper focuses on how leaders can deal with the issue of turnover and address it through an appropriate leadership style.

Nurse Turnover

An increasing recognition exists that the attainment of a health system’s objectives, including sustenance of efficient delivery of quality patient outcomes, requires an adequate and effective nurse workforce (Carlson, 2018). As such, organizations should have effective retention of their nursing staff and ensure that they possess the right skills within the sustainable workforce. Different studies and reports demonstrate the extent and the effects of a high nurse turnover that affects almost the entire global healthcare industry and nursing sector (Hughe, 2017). Nurse attrition results in different and high costs to healthcare organizations.

In their article, Ellrich and Nelson (2020) observe that the industry registered the highest levels of nurse turnover in 2019, and the most affected nurses are mainly those with less than two-year period in an organization. The authors note that the industry registered about 17% in turnover rates and costing every hospital about $4.4 million each year. The authors are pessimistic that with the current problem of COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals will continue to register increased workforce instability than ever before. According to Wood (2017), high turnover rates are costly to the healthcare system and harm the quality outcomes for patient care. Carlson (2018) asserts that nurse attrition has enormous impacts on both organizations and employees, especially nurses in units like emergency departments and rooms. The adverse effects include reducing overall morale, chaos in the scheduling process, loss of resources, and a stretched human resource capacity as well as overwhelming the human resource teams and their ability to have effective recruitment. Carlson notes that the staffing process is the worst hit by attrition, and it becomes harder for nurses to perform their duties usefully due to increased burden and long shifts.

As such, overworking the nursing staff that is retained may be the prudent move in the short term for nurse managers. However, it increases the nurse-patient ratios, which can lead to burnout, possible medication errors, and even more turnover. The replacement of a nurse costs a health institution between $22,000 and $65,000. Further, reports show that a hospital can lose close to $8 million each year indirect costs related to nursing turnover (Wood, 2017; Ellrich & Nelson, 2020). The implication is that high nurse turnover can result in a loss of essential memories by affected nurses about an institution. Imperatively, leaders and nurse managers need to get strategic solutions through better leadership approaches and management interventions to address this critical problem.

Roles of Leaders and Managers Based on different Approaches to the Issue

Nurse turnover is a critical issue that has attracted the attention of all stakeholders in the healthcare industry and even policymakers within the government. Turnover is an important determinant of organizational output, especially in the healthcare sector that is transforming and also dealing with unique situations like pandemics and infectious diseases (Heidari, Seifi & Gharebagh 2017). While different initiatives, programs, and strategies have been proposed by different players, right from nursing and other medical professionals, as well as scholars and policymakers in government, nurse leaders and managers, remain critical at having these solutions work.

Leaders and managers must establish retention initiatives as practical approaches to dealing with the problem. Having retention strategies means that the leaders and managers should apply critical leadership as well as management skills, competencies, and abilities to ensure that the issues raised by nurses or leading to attrition are addressed collaboratively. According to Heidari et al. (2017), nurse leaders and managers need to understand the reasons for nurses leaving their employment and mitigate the factors that lead to the intentions of these professionals leaving the workplace. For instance, studies demonstrate that most nurses leave because of job dissatisfaction, especially when a nurse requires career progression and empowerment. The implication is that leaders should advocate for nurses to get better training and career progression opportunities in the organization. Nurse leaders need to ensure that bedside nurses have a manageable workload and get chances to increase their competence and skills for better service delivery.

Additional Aspects by Leaders and Managers to enhance Professionalism

According to Wood (2017), nurse leaders and managers should develop effective approaches in their efforts to address the problem by getting an excellent fit to mitigate the turnover, right from the hiring process. Leaders should engage the nurses to avoid burnout. At the same time, the management should institute an effective hiring process which allows an organization to attain the best fit based on an individual’s attitude and ability to stay. Managers can establish retention policies when hiring nurses. For instance, a strategy that requires a nurse to spend at least a certain amount of time at the organization can mitigate turnover (Ellrich & Nelson, 2020). Managers should develop retention strategies like the creation of growth opportunities for nursing staff, recognizing nurses for meaningful performance and achievement, and improving the work environment.

Effective Leadership Style and Advocacy

On their part, nurse leaders should develop and nurture the collaborative working relationships with the nurses and ensure that the professional code of conduct and ethical principles guide how they deal with bedside RNs in their units. According to Hughes (2017), specific leadership strategies can promote the retention of nurses. These include trust, loyalty, having integrity through the use of both aesthetic and authentic leadership models. As nurse advocates, nurse leaders should ensure that their staff work in a secure and safe environment for effective service delivery to patients. The leaders should also support the nurses and use team-building strategies to attain a coherent and high performing team.

The implication is that nurse leaders should use a transformational leadership approach to inspire their nurses, encourage them to attain career goals, and ensure that they deliver the best quality outcomes to retain them (Maxwell, 2017). Studies show that a positive relationship exists between transformational leaders and nurse performance and retention in healthcare organizations. From a Christian and biblical perspective, leaders and managers have to protect their employees and ensure that they are treated well to offer better services to patients (Maxwell, 2017). Transformational leadership ensures that nurses develop professionally, and organizations use effective strategies to solve problems facing them.

Conclusion

Nurse leaders, as well as managers, need to develop responsive and practical models to deal with the issue of nurse turnover to ensure that they mitigate costs and adverse effects associated with the problem. The use of a transformational leadership approach and application of ethical as well as professional code of conduct principles should the starting points.

References

Carlson, K. (2018). Avoiding the organizational pain of high nurse turnover. Retrieved from

http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/avoiding-the-organizational-pain-of-high-nurse-turnover/healthcare-administration

Ellrich, M. & Nelson, B. (2020 March 23). Nurse Turnover, Part 1: How to Retain Your Best.

Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/296198/nurse-turnover-part-retain-best.aspx

Heidari M, Seifi B, Gharebagh Z. A (2017). Nursing staff retention: Effective factors. Annals of

Tropical Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 10, No.6, pp.1467-73.

Hughe, V. (2017).  Review Article: Leadership Strategies to Promote Nurse Retention. Scientific

 Journal of Nursing & Practice.

Maxwell, E. (2017). Good leadership in nursing: what is the most effective approach? Nursing

            Times [online]; Vol.113, No. 8, pp.18-21.

Wood, D. A. (2017). Employers need to address nursing turnover. Retrieved from

https://mediakit.nurse.com/employers-need-to-address-nursing-turnover/