Staff
Healthcare providers need nurse leaders to oversee, teach and groom new nurses. With the current nursing shortage, healthcare providers have not prioritized the grooming of new nurse leaders to take over when current nurses exit the field. Although retiring nurses present a massive challenge to the healthcare industry, it also presents an opportunity for nurses looking to get into leadership positions. Having the right skills can help nurses overcome the challenges that come with getting into these positions and make them successful once they land these positions. We are going to look at some of the most important qualities nurses need to succeed as nurse leaders.
Adaptability
Healthcare is always changing. There is new information presented every day that changes the healthcare landscape as well as new policies, rules, and regulations that govern the provision of healthcare. These changes can make nursing feel quite chaotic but being able to adapt as changes happen can help nurse leaders guide their peers to adapt to these changes as well as use them as an opportunity to improve outcomes.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is vital in healthcare settings as it helps nurses make the right decision regardless of the variables that complicate the decision-making process. Nurse leaders who can think critically are also in a better position to help other professionals develop this vital skill. Nurses are also acting with increased autonomy as the way healthcare is provided shifts. Critical thinking becomes an important skill in this setting.
Team-building Skills
Successful nurse leaders often have a team of nurses working under them. Nurse leaders must be able to build a successful and effective team by helping nurses build the relationships that make the team succeed. Cooperation and collaboration between nurses ensure the best health outcomes and this can only be achieved if nurses can work together. A nurse leader, therefore, needs to not only help nurses work as a team, but also be a role model that their peers or those under them can follow.
Technology Skills
The world is increasingly relying on technology and data, and healthcare has not been left behind either. Nurse leaders need to understand the technology being used in healthcare facilities including biometric support, electronic health records, and clinical decision support.
Data-driven decisions are also becoming commonplace especially as healthcare facilities try to eliminate inefficiencies and offer better services to their patients. This is why programs such as the nurse executive program offered by Baylor University put a lot of emphasis on teaching data analytics skills to nurses who enroll in the program. By having these data analytics skills, leaders in nursing can take advantage of the unlimited potential data has in the improvement and transformation of healthcare.
Emotional Intelligence
All nurses need a certain level of emotional intelligence. Having emotional intelligence is even more important for nurse leaders because they also need to help team members and peers develop emotional intelligence. Only by having emotional intelligence can nurses provide the right level of care.
To help peers and team members develop emotional intelligence, nurse leaders can help them come with the challenges that come with being a nurse, such as dealing with patients’ families. Nurse leaders also need to help their team members deal with their personal issues as this can affect their well-being, result in exhaustion, and impact collaboration between team members.
Professional Socialization
Nurse leaders are trained to understand patient-nurse relationships and dynamics. Nurse leaders need to teach new nurses how to engage with patients and retain a professional relationship. Nurses who can understand this dynamic and retain professional relationships are great candidates for leadership positions and can be groomed to shift their careers in that direction.
Communication Skills
As leaders managing a team of nurses, nurse leaders need top-notch communication skills. In addition to coordinating new nurses, nurse leaders also need to communicate with healthcare professionals from other departments or disciplines. Nurse leaders need to know what to say and how to say it to get the results they want while remaining professional when they engage with other healthcare professionals.
Mentorship
Nurse leaders are tasked with motivating trainees and team members in a way that best resonates with their personalities. Nurse leaders can foster an environment of continuous learning by helping the nurses under them understand their roles while giving them enough autonomy so that they do not feel pressured or micromanaged.
Professionalism
Every leader needs confidence and competency in their chosen field and nursing is no different. Nurse leaders are, in many cases, the face of their teams and the main point of contact for the facilities they work for. In addition to learning how to talk to people both within and outside their organizations, nurse leaders also need to know how to present themselves and represent their facilities professionally when they meet other healthcare professionals.
Also, nurse leaders are an important beacon of professionalism for nurses who work with, for, and under them. Because of this, they have to set an example no matter the situation and be a great example for other nurses.
Conflict Resolution
Conflicts are unavoidable when different nurses, teams, and multidisciplinary parties come together. Conflicts can occur between any members of these groups and nurse leaders should be able to resolve these conflicts and differences amicably.
By understanding how conflicts arise and how to get conflicting parties to a point of compromise, nurse leaders can diffuse conflicts and ensure a healthy work environment. Nurse leaders are also tasked with learning other conflict resolution strategies to reach the same goal.
Attention to Detail
Nurses leaders are usually under a lot of pressure to ensure their departments run as smoothly as possible. Great nurse leaders understand that they are in charge of nurses who are in charge of other people’s lives and having strong attention to detail skills can determine how they and the nurses they are in charge of perform.
As healthcare changes, there is an increase in the demand for nurses with the right nurse leadership skills. If you are considering making this career choice, cultivating the qualities above can make it easier to land the role.