Staff Nurse Clinical Leadership, Essay Example

I am cognizant of my role in treating patients at the bedside, as it has given me a number of opportunities to serve as a leader in this capacity. I am grateful for these opportunities and have been enthusiastic regarding the experiences that I have had to date in this regard. However, I also acknowledge that there is often much chaos and confusion during these periods, which places a greater strain on my ability to lead and to optimize the conditions with the resources that are available. From this perspective, it is important to make the most of each experience and to recognize that during all interactions with patients, there is an opportunity to learn and to lead with my knowledge and compassion, particularly when patients might be struggling with a diagnosis or illness. At the same time, I am also able to use these experiences as educational tools and am able to provide information to my patients and to lead them in a way that will aim to improve their health in different ways. This is an important step towards the discovery of new ideas and approaches to leading in a nursing capacity that might be considered unconventional.

In a clinical capacity, it is important to perform all required tasks with the highest level of skill in order promote a high quality care experience for my patients, and this is best achieved through my ability to demonstrate my leadership at the bedside with the effort that I make in getting to know my patients and their specific clinical needs (Chavez & Yoder, 2015). This process provides a means of understanding the characteristics that are most necessary for a bedside nurse, and embodying these traits when working with patients (Chavez & Yoder, 2015).  I continue to grow and thrive in this role as a leader because I am able to communicate with my patients and recognize that there are concerns that must be addressed when I provide treatment at the bedside, and that my patients depend on me as an expert in my field and as a teacher who is able to answer their questions and concerns. This is important to me and provides me with significant pride in different areas of my career, particularly when I am able to contribute at a high level and to make a difference that is both memorable and effective in improving a patient’s quality of life.

It is important to recognize that as a bedside nurse, I am empowered to maximize my skills in treating my patients and in addressing their needs as effectively as possible. Nursing empowerment in this role serves as a key driver in my ability to lead and to make a difference for my patients at a level that will have important significance to their health and wellbeing (Laschinger, Duffield, & Reed, 2015). These experiences are invaluable and have taught me that leadership is a multifaceted concept that has many faces, and this has been instrumental in shaping my ability to administer care that is compassionate and treatment that is of the highest possible quality on a consistent basis. This process will continue to support my growth and optimism in the nursing profession as a positive facilitator of improving quality of care for my patients and will facilitate my own abilities to serve as a leader in other areas of my life that go beyond nursing.

Finally, I believe that in my role as a bedside nurse, I continue to learn with each and every experience, and this allows me to build relationships with my patients, to impart my knowledge and wisdom regarding healthcare issues, and to understand how my role as a nurse possesses many diverse angles. These tools are critical to my own growth as a nursing leader and as a face of the profession as I move forward throughout my career. I am confident that these experiences will enable me to continue to grow and thrive in my role and to make a difference in the lives of my patients that provides meaning and value to my professional career. This process will likely translate into a greater level of motivation and effort in treating my patients with the utmost respect and with the skill that is necessary to improve their health and wellbeing while they are under my care.

References

Chávez, E. C., & Yoder, L. H. (2015, April). Staff Nurse Clinical Leadership: A Concept Analysis. In Nursing forum (Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 90-100).

Laschinger, H., Duffield, C., & Read, E. (2015). Leadership and empowerment in nursing. Leadership and Nursing: Contemporary perspectives, 171.