Leadership and Communication in Nursing Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Leadership and Communication in Nursing

This assignment aims to develop a commentary writeup on “communication”, “delegation” and “managing conflict” in nursing care and organizational culture. This assignment will include two parts, Part one will focus on a critical discussion about the importance of leadership in nursing care whereas in the second part, the reflective report has to be developed by focusing on one situation from the placement.

What?

This commentary write-up will be developed on the theme “communication, delegation, and managing conflict in nursing care”. In nursing care, effective communication is considered to be important when it comes to conveying vital information to the patient accurately. Delegation ensures tasks are assigned among the healthcare team appropriately, by balancing the workload while managing patient safety. On the other hand, managing conflict within healthcare and organisational culture can promote a harmonious environment, and enhance care quality and safety standards for patients (Sarigiovannis et al., 2023).

How?

To highlight the importance of the intersection of these three principles in healthcare, the commentary writeup will be structured into two sections the first part will be the commentary on the terms like leadership, management, delegation, and teamworking within the context of NHS and specifically in reference to nursing practice. The part one will include a critical analysis of the importance of leadership by incorporating recent events like the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Report (2018), CQC (2015), evaluation of relevant leadership and management theories in relation to the MDTs and the role of leadership in service and quality improvement in healthcare setup. The second part of the commentary write-up will include a reflection on my Year 1 Practice experiences.

Why?

The value of a commentary article on communication, delegation, and conflict management in nursing care and organisational culture cannot be overstated because it highlights the fundamentals of effective healthcare delivery. This topic can provide important insight to future researchers about the way to enhance patients' outcomes and develop team dynamics. Addressing the intricacies of communication in healthcare and nursing practice can ensure the transfer of information with accuracy and the prevention of errors in real-time practices (Wu and Parks, 2023).

Part 1: Commentary

Context

Nursing leadership and management are healthcare fields that need a high level of knowledge and expertise. According to NHS, leadership can be defined as the position's capacity and ability to lead or direct. In nursing practice, leadership can be linked with the work culture in terms of caring and compassionate working culture and high-quality care (nhs.uk (2020). On the other hand, the term “management” refers to the coordination, organisation, and allocation of resources effectively for acquiring established objectives in healthcare practice (Stainer et al., 2022). According to NHS, in nursing practice, overseeing the daily operations, distribution of resources, and ensuring the delivery of quality care are the important factors related to management practices. As per NHS, the definition of “teamwork” is “a group of individuals who work through collective endeavor towards a specific goal” (nhs.uk (2020). In the NHS, the essential ingredients and desired qualities for effective teamwork are self-awareness, and openness, listening, facilitating and empowering, the intelligent use of boundaries and emotions, less rush to judgment, and maintaining clarity across the accountability (Jee, 2022). Delegation includes entrusting specific tasks to a qualified individual while retaining accountability for their outcomes (Stenner et al., 2023).

In session 1, NHS has taken a long-term plan, where the focus has been given to several strategies like providing people more control over their health and the care service they are receiving; encouraging people to collaborate with GPs, healthcare teams, and community services such as primary care networks (Tito et al., 2021). In such a scenario, teamwork and leadership are considered to be important aspects by using which NHS nurses and healthcare providers can provide service jointly and increase the quality of the “integrated care system” (nhs.uk (2020).

Nowadays, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the UK, the nursing leadership and NHS are trying to emphasize patient-centric care and evidence-based practices by using a multidisciplinary collaboration process. New trends involve increased autonomy for the nurses and emphasis is giving on continuous professional development (Jee, 2022). Currently, in the UK, the NHS is trying to invest in technological integration to cater to data-driven decision-making and address the staff shortage. The NHS is actively promoting the leadership development program and diversity in leadership roles by embracing IT and digital solutions to enhance the outcome of the care process.

Discussion

Brief discussion about the importance of leadership

The significance of leadership in healthcare can be discussed by an array of significant events and reports based on the last 5-10 years' report. The below incidents have highlighted the critical role that highlights importance of leadership in shaping patient safety measures, quality of care policies, and organisational culture.

• - Ockenden's (2020) report: this report highlights the maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital, this report emphasises the necessity for strong leadership practices for ensuring patient safety, effective communication, and accountability within healthcare teams (Bakir et al., 2022). In December 2020, the Ockenden Report was published which set out seven necessary actions for Trust Maternity Services under seven key themes (Siegel et al., 2023). The review led by Donna Ockenden examined cases involving 1500 families and 1600 clinical incidents, The review highlighted the maternity service failure by NHS, where 200 babies and nine mothers could have survived if they had better care service (Wu and Parks, 2023).
• Public Accounts Committee report on mental health services for children and young people (2019): This reportemphasised the need for leadership in child and adolescent mental health services. In this crucial sector, it was noted that strong leadership was essential for tackling systemic problems, guaranteeing adequate resources, and providing high-quality care (Sanderson et al., 2023).
• - Opening the door to change NHS safety culture and the need for transformation (CQC, 2018): This report highlights on the NHS safety culture and need for the transformation. The “opening the door to change” includes several policies towards change like NHS improvement in partnership with Health Education England and others, implementation of the National Patient Safety Strategy to support the safety policies and standards of NHS, and implementation of leadership as the responsibility for patient safety (nhs.uk (2021). This report states that leadership is important to transform the NHS safety culture by minimizing failures like 203 wrong site surgeries, 64 wrong implantations or prostheses, and 26 cases of wrong naos-or orogastric tubes (Siegel et al., 2023).

Relevant Leadership theories, comparison by relating those to nursing practice and working within MDTs

In relation to the nursing practice and working within MDTs, the two prominent leadership theories that can be used are:

• Authentic Leadership: This leadership model or theory focuses on the notion of “being true to oneself while leading” (Donelli et al., 2022). This theory emphasizes the transparency, self-awareness, and ethical behaviours of leaders in workplace setup. In nursing practice, an authentic leader will create an open and trustworthy environment by fostering effective communication among team members. Such behavioural approaches are important in MDTs, where various healthcare professionals and nurses work in collaboration (Sarigiovannis et al., 2023). In session 3, the focus has been given to the critical analysis of a research article that explored how chief nurse executives will become and remain authentic leaders. According to this article, an authentic leader comprises a high level of self-regulation and tries to create a positive organizational climate and positive psychological capacity of hope, resilience, optimism, and confidence. In NHS, such a leadership approach not only can ensure patient care quality, but also nurture a sense of psychological safety, crucial for the learning and innovation within MDTs (Corpuz-Abenoja, 2022).
• Transformational leadership: This leadership theory centers around the notion of motivating and inspiring the followers to achieve higher levels of performance, this transformational leadership style is pertinent to nursing as it encourages continuous learning, innovation, and overall improvement in patient care quality (Xu et al., 2022). Within the MDTs, this leadership approach transformational leadership motivates diverse professionals to transcend individual roles and focuses on the collective goal of comprehensive patient care. In session 3, the article written by (FISCHER, 2016) has been taken into consideration to analyse the concept of transformational leadership in the nursing context (Shore et al., 2022). According to this article, transformational leadership in nursing can be associated with high-performing teams and improved patient care.
• Comparison between two leadership models: Comparing these ideas reveals that while both Authentic and Transformational Leadership place a strong emphasis on motivation, open communication, and authenticity, their approaches are fundamentally different (Siegel et al., 2023). Genuineness and personal integrity are at the core of authentic leadership, which helps to build relationships based on trust. Transformational leadership, in contrast, emphasises encouraging change and improving performance by inspiring people to realize their greatest potential (Corpuz-Abenoja, 2022).

In nursing practice within MDTs, authentic leadership can be defined as the foundation of trust and open communication, allowing transformational leadership to thrive. By being authentic, the nurse leader can inspire and motivate entire team members to embrace the transformational changes to ensure the betterment of the health and well-being of the patients and their care approach (Hollington, 2022).

Identification of the role of leadership in quality and service improvement in healthcare

Considering the sessions, patient, and service users' experience, and safeguarding in NHS, it can be stated that in the realm of nursing, leadership plays an important role in driving quality and service improvements within healthcare settings. In NHS, the nursing leader is considered an important instrument in terms of establishing a culture of excellence, fostering continuous learning, and implementing evidence-based practices (Shore et al., 2022). The guidance of nursing leaders in NHS can empower the team to identify the areas for enhancement, streamline the processes, and embrace the innovation that can elevate patient care. According to the session, leadership in nursing practice can help the nurses improve services for both patients and those who are providing services (Siegel et al., 2023).

The key theoretical concept in team working within MDTs

According to session 2 and NHS (2019), a multidisciplinary team or MDT refers to a group of professionals from one or more clinical disciplines who in collaboration make decisions based on the recommended treatment for individual patients. According to different sessions and NHS, effective teamwork within MDTs or Multidisciplinary Teams involves different theoretical concepts (Corpuz-Abenoja, 2022). Team dynamics encompasses the roles, interactions, and communication patterns that influence the performance of a team. Shared value, and other attributes like trust, respect, and diversity can underpin the collaborative or team working efforts and enable the team members to leverage their skills and competencies for providing better care services to the patients (Bigirinama et al., 2023).

In NHS, the main challenges related to MDTs are ambiguity, conflicting priorities, and communication barriers (Waring et al., 2023). According to NHS, a lengthy decision-making process is one of the major challenges related to the MDT NHS, In the system multi-faceted as the NHS, the increased complexity around the care pathways, lack of coordination, and lack of cohesion between the team and organisation, duplication of the efforts, and lack of a plan for resource allocation are the major challenges that the NHS faces with MDTs (Hamm et al., 2022). Considering the challenges and changing health needs, networking skill is considered to be important for teamwork as it can facilitate cross-functional collaboration and sharing of knowledge.

These concepts have a profound influence on patient safety and quality of the case, positive team dynamics and shared values can enhance the communication process, and reduce errors and adverse events (James and Bennett, 2022). Effective leadership role modeling can instill a culture of safety, where every care provider or nurse can get the scope of open communication, continuous improvement, and adherence to best practices (Wu and Parks, 2023).

Explore the concept of delegation as a leadership and management tool that supports the effective MDT working

A key management and leadership strategy that promotes effective Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) collaboration is delegation. Giving team members tasks that are compatible with their abilities, fosters shared decision-making and bridges the leadership gap (Shore et al., 2022). Delegation as a management technique improves patient care delivery, optimizes resource use, and streamlines operations.

Clear communication, work distribution based on competency, and accountability sharing are all essential components of effective delegation in nursing. Team members are given the proper tasks by leaders, yet they still maintain ultimate accountability (Sarigiovannis et al., 2023). This not only promotes teamwork but also guarantees patient safety by avoiding assignments that are not skill-appropriate. Common themes in delegation include regular feedback, employee competency evaluations, and communication. Utilising a variety of skills, decreasing workload inequalities, and encouraging resource efficiency, improve MDT efficacy. The main challenges in delegation are the legal consequences, hesitance to relinquish control, and the potential for miscommunication (Waring et al., 2023). In MDTs, delegation fosters coordinated patient care, as team member contributes to the specialised skills.

Definition of Information Technology

In the NHS, innovation and technological advancements are driving significant changes in clinical practices. The electronic prescription service or EPS utilize 93% of England's GP practices, resulting in 67% of the prescription being delivered through the IT system (Tito et al., 2021). This transition now not only enhances the patient experience but has also led to a substantial NHS saving of 136 million euros over three years from 2013-16 (Stenner et al., 2023). The NHS e-referral service can also allow the service users to book hospital appointments online, which also includes hospital and GP practices, this digital technology approach, as per the estimation can help NHS to generate 50 million in savings in overall health treatment provision costs across the country (Stainer et al., 2022). Considering this statistic it can be stated that information technology in NHS has encompassed the use of software systems, networking, and electronic systems to store, gather, process, and share data. In the healthcare system or NHS, digital data and IT are now playing a transformative role, where the leaders can leverage technology for innovation, and enhance data-driven decision-making making which can enable the seamless sharing of information within Multidisciplinary teams (Wu, and Parks, 2023).

Identification of the gap in healthcare that needs service improvement through innovative practice-reference Year 2 Evaluating Evidence for Translation into Nursing Practice

Based on the Year 2 - Evaluating Evidence for Translation into Nursing Practice module, the gap that can be identified is the underutilization of patient and care perspective in shaping the healthcare processes. Despite the central to the care journey, the patient and care providers' insight is not integrated into the service improvement initiatives of NHS (Jee, 2022). Moreover, there is a gap between the consistent application of safeguarding principles, which has led to inadequate protection of vulnerable individuals in the healthcare setup. Considering the Year 2 experiences, a SMART Goal can be developed for the nursing practice in Year 3 (refer appendix 1).

Part 2: Year 1 Reflection

Reflection 1: To reflect on one situation from my placement as a nurse in NHS, Rolf's reflective model can be used.

What?

During my placement as a nurse at NHS in Year 1, a situation unfolded that there is significant importance of teamwork in healthcare setup. during my internship at NHS, I met a patient with complex medical needs who needed coordinated effort from various disciplines. the patient was suffering from an advanced stage of dementia along with several other mental illnesses (Hollington, 2022).

So what?

The good was that the collaboration between nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals at NHS provided a clear understanding of the patient's condition. The collaborative working also gave them a scope to contribute their skills and efficacies to devise comprehensive care plans (Siegel et al., 2023). However occasional breakdown of the communication was one of the major challenges. As an intern in Year 1 in NHS, lack of communication with other nurses made me challenging to misinterpret the data and information which led me to the moment of confusion as well as dilemmas in the treatment process. this also creates the chance of error in patient care plan and outcome to a considerable extent (nhs.uk (2021). Additionally, the lack of communication and collaboration with other nurses and healthcare professionals made me nervous and anxious about how to deal with patients with dementia (Sanderson et al., 2023). As a result, I failed to provide the necessary treatment and support to the respective patient, which in turn put her in such a condition that she needed urgent medical care or support.

Now What?

I learned the value of transparent communication and group decision-making through this experience. I came to see that nurses are essential to keeping the team cohesive. They must effectively communicate information to ensure that everyone is on the same page in their capacity as patient advocates. During the Year 1 experience, I also came to understand that the role of MDT members in a healthcare setup is also important (Donelli et al., 2022). Doctors gave expert medical advice, therapists created specialized interventions, and administrative staff made sure everything ran smoothly. Quality care and patient safety were everyone's top priorities. The instances of communication failures served as a reminder of how these failures may adversely affect patient outcomes (Hamm et al., 2022).

This scenario underscored that teamwork is the cornerstone of the healthcare system. Effective collaboration and communication within a team can ease the safety measures and care quality of patients as well as the care providers.

Reflection 2:

At the time of my Year 1 Placement experiences in NHS, I was entrusted with assisting in the patient assessment process under the supervision of a registered nurse at NHS. It was an opportunity that underscored the importance of teamwork and patient-centered care.

What worked well was the clear communication between the registered nurse and me. She has provided me with clear instructions, shared her experiences, and made sure that I have enough knowledge and understanding about the processes (Shore et al., 2022). However, there were times when I had questions about particular parts of the assessment and wished I had gone looking for more information.

In retrospect, I should have sought out more direction before beginning the assignment to have a better strategy. Upon reflection, I concluded that asking for advice and maintaining open lines of communication are crucial for providing patients with safe and efficient care. The registered nurse's assistance was essential, and her allocation of tasks allowed me to make a significant contribution to patient care (Xu et al., 2022). Being delegated this task, it made me feel valued and trusted by my team. It was a reminder of shared responsibility in patient care and made me realise about the importance of seamless collaboration (Sarigiovannis et al., 2023). Overall, the experience showed how cooperation, open communication, and responsible delegating improve patient security and the standard of care.

Conclusion

In this commentary, focus has been given to various aspects of healthcare practice, leadership, teamwork, patient experiences, safeguarding, and delegation as integral elements in delivering high-quality care. In this write-up, the focus has been given to understanding about the significance of the patient perspective, the role of leadership in driving innovation, and the importance of collective responsibility to safeguard the vulnerable. Additionally, in this writeup commentary has been made on the use of Information Technologies in healthcare setup and how it is being used in NHS. In essence, the foundation of the best possible patient outcomes and the delivery of high-quality healthcare is the synthesis of patient-centricity, effective leadership, teamwork, safeguarding values, and appropriate delegating. Understanding these nuances equips us as prospective healthcare professionals to negotiate the challenges of the industry, embrace innovation, cultivate patient connections, and guarantee the welfare of everyone in our charge. This all-encompassing strategy ultimately improves the healthcare environment and reflects the fundamental principles of compassion, excellence, and patient safety. In this write-up, the reflective report has also been included where the focus has given particularly on the experiences that I have gained from my Year 1 placement program at NHS.

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