Twenty-First Century Skill Set, Coursework Example

Introduction

Contemporary nurse leaders must establish and master a set of skills that support critical thinking, analysis, technical aptitude, and knowledge acquisition to improve the lives of the practice setting and of all patients. This process requires nurse leaders to be effective communicators and to encourage individuals to work and perform to the best of their ability in order to improve their performance and its translation into high quality care and treatment. There are particular requirements to consider that all nurse leaders must meet so that they are able to actively contribute in the work environment and lead by example. All nurse leaders must possess a specific set of skills and competencies that directly impact their ability to make a difference, and this requires a high level understanding of the characteristics that impact patient care and efficiency. Nurse leaders must be provided with the tools and resources that are necessary to achieve quality leadership, and this is best accomplished through the active use of resources and training to meet these needs. The following discussion will address nurse leader characteristics in greater detail and will recognize the skills that separate good nurse leaders from great and influential drivers of nursing practice.

Analysis

Nurse leaders must possess a high degree of technical knowledge and should be able to perform the duties that staff nurses perform in their daily work lives. At the same time, nurse leaders must be able to stand out above the rest and possess a high level of knowledge and an awareness of the issues that are most important to nurses, given the issues that are most commonly encountered in the practice environment. The organization in which a nurse leader is employed has a significant influence on the degree of success of this individual, as it either supports or negates the work that nurses perform and the message that they send to their patients and to the healthcare system as a whole (Wade et.al, 2008). As a result, an organization with a significant focus on nursing as a key contributor to high quality care will provide its nurse leaders with specific tools and resources to perform these roles successfully (Wade et.al, 2008). In this capacity, nurses must be able to demonstrate their willingness to learn from the training that they receive and to acquire knowledge, while also believing in the organizations for which they are employed (Wade et.al, 2008).

The skill set of nurse leaders in the 21^st Century requires a high level of knowledge and experience in the advanced practice setting (Grossman & Valiga, 2012). Nurses are called upon to perform to the best of their ability and to obtain advanced education to optimize their contribution to the practice environment; therefore, nurse leaders must accept this challenge and seek to improve the surrounding work environment to strengthen their reputation and to exceed expectations (Grossman & Valiga, 2012). Current and future nurse leaders must be responsible, diligent, professional, dedicated, and possess high technical aptitude in order to accomplish the objectives required of the profession, while also demonstrating a high level of skill and an understanding of patient care needs (Grossman & Valiga, 2012). From this perspective, nurses are prepared to become effective leaders and to actively contribute to the practice environment over the long term (Grossman & Valiga, 2012).Nurse leaders must be prepared for these roles in different ways, and must also be evaluated accordingly to ensure that they possess the skills and characteristics that enable them to be successful leaders (Curtis, de Vries, & Sheerin, 2011). Nurses must be skilled in a number of core competencies and must demonstrate a high level of knowledge and understanding of the profession and where it is headed in the future (Curtis et.al, 2011). These core competencies will prepare them to become assertive in these roles and to provide expert guidance to staff nurses in a variety of areas (Curtis et.al, 2011). This process supports the growth and development of new strategies to improve patient care quality, to communicate effectively with nurses, to solve problems, and to recognize when new processes must be developed to address changes in the healthcare system (Curtis et.al, 2011). The level of leadership success is often contingent upon maintaining a high level of flexibility, while also considering other factors that may contribute to the development of a successful framework to change the face of the nursing profession in a positive manner (Salmela, Eriksson, & Fagerstrom, 2012). This strategy is critical because it enables nurse leaders to recognize when change is required and to demonstrate their ability to initiate change by using a flexible approach to facilitating a successful practice environment (Salmela et.al, 2012). This process supports the continued growth and development of the practice environment and encourages staff nurses to exercise their own degree of flexibility to ensure that they make the maximum contribution to the workplace setting (Salmela et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

It is important for nurse leaders to set an example for others to follow by demonstrating strong core competencies and expert knowledge of the key areas of the practice environment. Nurse leaders must be engaging and willing to learn new roles and responsibilities in order to accomplish the required objectives, while also considering other factors that will have a positive impact on patient care outcomes. Nurse leaders must provide guidance and support to other nurses and recognize that all nurses must meet the required core competencies to the best of their ability. This strategy requires ongoing education and training to facilitate knowledge acquisition and skill development that will serve as the cornerstone of the nursing practice environment and the success of nurses throughout the world, both now and in the future.

References

Curtis, E. A., de Vries, J., & Sheerin, F. K. (2011). Developing leadership in nursing: exploring core factors. British Journal of Nursing, 20(5), 306.

Grossman, S. C., & Valiga, T. M. (2012). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of  nursing. FA Davis.

Salmela, S., Eriksson, K., & Fagerström, L. (2012). Leading change: a three?dimensional model of nurse leaders’ main tasks and roles during a change process. Journal of advanced nursing, 68(2), 423-433.

Wade, G.H., Osgood, B., Avino, K., Bucher, G., Bucher, L., Foraker, T., French, D., & Sirkowski, C. (2008). Influence of organizational characteristics and caring                     attributes of managers on nurses’ job enjoyment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 64(4), 344-353.