Leadership In Nursing Practice: A Case Study On Patient Safety And Nurse Responsibilities (essay).

Person-Centred and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

Registered nurse practice (RN) is based on evidence and remains person-centred, with curative, supportive, formative and preventative elements. They need to possess a range of abilities to enhance patient outcomes through the implementation of standardized practices and abiding by ethical codes of conduct. Registered nursing leaders work in inducing professional and therapeutic relationships with patients, their families, communities and groups. The Nursing and Midwifery Board in Australia sets guidelines which should be reflected in nursing practices, for determining and coordinating safety in nursing. It requires continuous application of critical thinking as they are also accountable for delegation and supervision of nursing activities to various enrolled nurses (NMBA, 2016). The essay would encompass the role of leadership in a nursing team, pertaining to elements and patients in the case study. It would analyse the responsibility of the Nurse to delegate correctly and effectively formulate a shift-timing planner. The application of NMBA standards would be highlighted throughout the essay to emphasize on leadership responsibilities in a clinical setting.

Nurses have the responsibility of ensuring safe delivery of quality care through the application of person centred and evidence-based practices. Their decision-making standards work in accordance with the NMBA codes to respect the profession and the broad healthcare system. The provision of leadership for ensuring the delivery of good care understands the professional responsibilities of supporting people. It also enables healthcare employees to comply with obligations and report concerns in times of compromises observed in the safety and health of individuals receiving care in an environment of nursing practices (McKenna et al., 2019).

As stated by Aidridge (2021), leadership in nursing primarily involves bringing together all nurses to function cohesively within teams. This attributes to the primary duties of effective communication, partnered decision making and abiding by legal constructs, education and acquired knowledge (Shwartz, 2019). When treatments teams are brought together, the leaders explicitly verify if all nurses ae obeying the high standards of safety and care. They maintain rigorous care standards for patients and their families, just as they expect from facilities of exemplary healthcare. They potentially bridge the gap between practices and policies through ensuring members obey safety protocols.

Registered nurses require to be well informed about medical practices through utilization of evidence, where they adhere to health notices and professional publications (NMBA, 2016). Leaders are also familiar with protocols and safety standards, that they must preach to subordinate members of the healthcare facility. If they can properly supervise the nursing team members, chances for patients to receive safe care would be guaranteed.

The registered nurse is required to sustain, establish and conclude relationships for differentiating between the boundaries of workplace relationships. They should explore their leadership role in communicating efficiently while being respectful of dignity, cultural beliefs, values and rights of patients and employees (Day, 2019). The patients in the cardiological ward would need constant attention from nurses to look into their chronic conditions and ailments at every moment. They need to be assisted with movement, urination or food whenever required, so the presence of a nursing practitioner would be imperative for their respective conditions. Leaders are also able to provide adequate information for enhancing the control of other nurses on the health outcomes of patients. They use learning approaches for continuing lifelong professional development, and their active engagement with the profession. Kim can positively enhance the condition of the patient through timely assessment and treatment. As she will have to comply with the NMBA decision-making framework, she can recognize the activities that remain within the scope of their practices. Cardiac patients cannot miss their intravenous medications and prompt nursing interventions would be mandatory. It would require the leader’s calculated knowledge in determining the urgency and intensity of needs to plan shifts and designate responsibilities (Usher et al., 2017). For instance, end-stage and congestive heart failures as in the cases of Roy Ocean and Glenda Turkey demand immediate administration or refills for patients as minimal delay can be fatal. Nursing leaders would wisely manage the entire situation by analyzing urgency of patients to be assisted. Roles also need to be delegated based on qualifications and skills of the concerned nurses.  

Leadership in Nursing: Responsibilities and Guidelines

Patient rights should also be upheld by valuing how nurses need to recognize the role of research in informed healthcare and the development of policies (NMBA, 2016). Patients should feel safe in an environment which seeks their consent. The nursing leads would conduct ethical research to ensure that their decisions do not compromise care.

It is the responsibility of nurses to create opportunities for their subordinates and learn as collaborative units while benefiting from feedback and foresight. Nurses should possess the necessary attitude and skills, reflect on their competence and guide activities accordingly. Critical strategies are used for creating decisions and utilizing available evidence and frameworks (NMBA, 2016). The shift planner indicated timely allotment of activities to cater to patients in any case of urgency or regular needs. It is imperative that nursing looks into the timely administration of medications, assist with their mobility whenever required, and looks into the success of procedures.

It has been important for the registered nurse Kim to access, analyze and use best available evidence, and research findings for critically enabling safety in practice (De Castillo, 2017). In the case study, she has been working in the cardiology ward of a hospital as an RN. The understaffing would require Kim to be assisted by Alex, an experienced EN in the 3^rd year of the degree. Although Alex insists that she could take care of the patients in the four bed-bay room, while Kim would take over the single patients in the other five rooms, it could not be completely acknowledged by Kim who was somewhat intimidated to fully trust her. So, she made sure she checks Alex performing her duties by being in the four-bay ward once or twice. Leadership also encourages cooperation between the employees to increase productive outputs (Kaiser & Westers, 2018). Alex should also have to come up to room 1-4 for checking on patients if need arises. Kim also strategically decides to utilize the availability and the potential of the Nursing educator and consultant till 5 pm, by asking her to guide on demonstrating care through practical patient examples. Kim’s practices could be monitored in case she needed assistance with assessing patients.

The correct and timely distribution of responsibilities would evidentially display efficacy in nursing standards. It is decided in the shift plan how a nurse would have to stay in the patient’s room for a minimum of one hour, then again, a shift change would take place depending on their availability and critical condition of the patient. No shift duties have been specified for Madison Goose for her absence from the hospital premises. For instance, if patients like Rajiv Singh and Athena Swann require timely limb and groin observations for undergoing their coronary angioplasties, plans should entail nurses to cater to them methodically.

Under the NMBA standards for nursing practices, the registered nurse is required to think critically and analyze all practices related to nursing. Leaders also need to formulate decisions instantly, resolve pertinent issues in emergent conditions and eradicate conflicts (van der Haar et al., 2017). It is dependent on the foundation of a good cognitive base. Leaders should engage in professional relationships for including collegial generosity to attain mutual respect and trust. A congenial workspace atmosphere is a primary requisite to enhancing welfare. As per standard 3 of NMBA practice standards, registered nurses need to be skilled and maintain an ability to conduct practices (Cashin et al., 2017). It can entail self-management and responding to concerns through their relative abilities. Leaders should also demonstrate decisions in a timely manner and promote effective actions in the favor of employees or patients. Standard 4 also highlights the need for comprehensive conduction of assessments (NMBA, 2016). In cases where the patients are not successfully assessed for carrying out interventions, timely refills, infusions or medicine administration would not be possible. It encompasses assessment of systematic techniques and available resources as well. Nursing leaders also need to develop a plan in this scenario for gaining prior understanding of the steps in which addressing patients can be efficient. The provision of appropriate, safe and responsive care is desired from the management. It standardizes delegation of ethical and goal-directed actions.  Kim and Alex should also adhere to principles while understanding their abilities and the scope of practice. As Kim checks most of the patients before her last shift before leaving, it promotes highlights the standard of evaluating outcomes to "informed nursing practices".

Conclusion

The challenging and dynamic profession of nursing requires inspiring and engaging leaders who can ably transform the healthcare system. Leadership in nursing should entail visibility on clinical affairs, emphasizing on an environment, maintaining active partnerships and integrating patient care with standardized guidelines. The shift plan in the study has effectively highlighted the role of the leader is control, supervision and rightful delegation of duties. The roles and responsibilities of a nursing leader has been highlighted in adherence to NMBA nursing guidelines, with respect to the case study to decipher appropriate measures for all the patients.

References

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