Southern Hills Hospital House, Essay Example

Southern Hills Hospital House Supervisor Clinical Preceptor ship Paper

Introduction

At Southern Hills Hospital, I attended my preceptorship on January 28^th and February 4^th. My preceptor during these visits was John, a Registered Nurse and House Supervisor. The preceptor was observed demonstrating a democrative and participative approach to leadership that supports his strengths as a leader and a facilitator within the organization on a large scale. Since he has an important position, he is responsible for many smaller layers of management within the team; therefore, his actions are critical and must support the overall direction of the business.

Analysis

The preceptor was responsible in his activities related to leadership, as he sought to develop a leadership structure that was based upon a combination of listening and obtaining much-needed feedback regarding the activities that were taking place. The preceptor appeared to be very trustworthy, self-aware of his actions and behaviors, fully accountable for his actions, and dependable on many levels (Southern Hills Hospital). The preceptor supports a highly effective approach to collaboration, managing conflicts, teamwork, change improvements, and communication. He listens to other nurses attentively prior to making important decisions and provides nurses with an opportunity to provide feedback that is taken seriously. The preceptor sought to make operations as smooth as possible; therefore, he sought to keep the team together through collaboration and through open lines of communication for all nurses so that their roles could be performed efficiently without any disruptions or delays.

The organization adopted a team model in all areas of the hospital in order to accomplish the desired goals and objectives. This model reflected the importance of developing new strategies to accommodate all responsibilities, as the preceptor performed at his best in order to organize the team into an effective and productive infrastructure. This would accommodate the needs of patients and provide important contributions to the organization to achieve favorable outcomes for all persons (Wise, 2011). As with any team environment, improvements must be made in order to accomplish these objectives, including the team leader’s consistent level of focus on the team as a whole and to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. High quality leadership within this environment requires a greater understanding of the challenges of each unit and how to address these concerns in a timely manner in order to minimize stress and anxiety related to healthcare practice (Cherry & Jacob, 2011).

The large majority of the team members communicate very well and represent an opportunity to express themselves in the company of the supervisor and other team members. The team environment and its members must also demonstrate its ability to communicate effectively, even when challenges occur that could disrupt the flow of information from one group or individual to the next. In general, the flow of information across this unit is positive and appropriate for the needs of the unit and its employees. Within the team structure, communication is critical in order to achieve successful results that are applicable to a variety of practice settings. However, when barriers to communication exist, it is necessary to address these concerns in a timely manner, using the preceptor as a viable sounding board for conflict and other concerns. The preceptor demonstrated his ability to remain neutral within a variety of situations; therefore, he is able to serve as an effective facilitator of communication when barriers exist that impact the team unit in different ways. When team members fail to communicate due to language barriers or other concerns, these actions impact the entire unit; therefore, they must be addressed by the preceptor in a timely manner in order to ensure that these conflicts could be resolved in a timely manner.

Existing computer systems served as the primary means of quality control for the organization. This process is supported by the preceptor and the actions taken by other nurses by tracking many different types of information that would be accessible to all nurses on the unit. These activities make it easier for the team to make the appropriate decisions, based upon data that was already entered into the system. The nurse must play an active role in addressing customer complaints and risk management activities. This is an important step towards the discovery of strategies to mitigate risk and to recognize the importance of reporting different issues to the nurse leader for further evaluation and consideration. This process also includes the regular review of the 2010 National Patient Safety Goals that the organization must follow.

When made aware of a situation regarding an ill nurse who was also a patient, the house supervisor paid her a visit, which was highly professional and attentive to her needs. In this type of situation, the supervisor must address the absence by reviewing the on call schedule in order to ensure that this role would be filled by other staff members until further notice. This ensures that the manager is responsible for ensuring that the unit is fully staffed at all times. The manager also demonstrates his support of the nurses on the unit by addressing questions directly and providing support for decisions that had been made.

Conclusion

My core leadership strengths include the ability to work well within groups and as part of a larger team, my communication skills in working with other team members, my strong work ethic, and my desire to continue my growth and knowledge as a student and as a future nurse. On the other hand, my weaknesses include managing situations while distracted and oversight regarding the work of others. In order to achieve growth in the leadership role, I must learn how to delegate effectively to others by demonstrating confidence in their abilities in order to be successful in this role. In addition, I must learn how to manage my time more effectively and improve my skills and experience on many levels.

References

Southern Hills Hospital. Registered Nurse J.E., House Supervisor.

Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2011). Contemporary nursing: issues, trends, & management, 5^th edition. St. Louis: Elsevier/Mosby.

Wise, P. S. (2011). Leading and managing in nursing 5th edition. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.