Background and training
Nurses are central to health care deliveries in hospital, their duties involve delivery of health care, drug administration, and offering of care to the chronically ill patients. Career growth is vital in ensuring that they advance from their previous roles (West & Markiewicz, 2016). Health care team leaders are entitled with ensuring that patients receive quality health care in the hospitals. In this study, the experience of a newly a charge nurse and that nurse team leader will be discussed. This paper is based on an interview conducted prior, the challenges faced by the two nurses while executing their duties will be expounded.
Comparison of the Challenges Faced by Charge Nurse and Nurse Team Leader
The charge nurse stated that understaffing and unfavorable working condition was the major problem faced in the hospital. There is lack of inadequate supply of nursing professional in health care facilities globally (West & Markiewicz, 2016). Thus, the issue raised by the healthcare provider is a matter of great concern. The nurse team leader mentioned that overworking, low nurse satisfaction, and lack of motivation affected her productivity. In addition, she claimed that there is tremendous technological advancements in health care sector. In her opinion, the inability to use the machineries efficiently has hindered the overall performance of most employees. Lack of adequate training of the staff, prevents the organization from adept use of technological services.
The nurse team leader mentioned ethical issues as another major challenge within the organization. In various occasions there has been a rise in unethical issues, however, team leaders and their employees’ should ensure that there is ethical reproach between them and their employees. The charge nurse said that staff resistance to change is a challenge experienced in her line of duty. Since her role is to implement changes, she is discouraged when defiant staff resists proposed opinions. For this reason, she is having difficulties in executing her duties.
Both the charge nurse head and the health care and the nurse team leader reported a lack of good communication as a challenge that hinders their performance. Communication is important in ensuring that the work processes within a health center or hospital is flowing (Bradley & Moore, 2019). Communication is required to ensure that there is an effective flow of management and job performances. However, sometimes it can be challenging for nurse managers to instill disciplines among the nurses.
Strategies for Effective Health Care Team Development
During the interview, it was evident that the charge nurse and the nurse team leader had similar ambitions. They both had effective strategies for ensuring that the quality of healthcare is improved. The health care team requires adequate communication between the nurse managers, staff and patients for effective health care delivery. In order to meet the demands and the needs of a health care center, a bar should be set for the staff. The goal will be to strive to ensure that the people attain health care delivery. Measurable goals reduce errors and wasteful use of resources.
Effective communication helps in preventing medical errors that could lead to mortalities. Research shows that miscommunication in the hospital setting could lead to more harm than good. Therefore, a good team can be built by ensuring that there is effective communication between them. Effective communication has been attributed to positive patient outcomes. Workers within a health care setting should ensure that trust is built between the staff and patients. Trust can be achieved by allowing the staff in a workplace to freely express their expertise. Authentic empathy should be demonstrated to increase the level of trust built.
Reflection
I have always thought that the role of a nurse is to care for sick people. The interview with the nurse charge and the nurse team leader has completely changed my perception. The fact that a medical worker can head the healthcare system continuum challenged me. In the future, I endeavor to become a leader. The training in nursing school does not offer courses on leadership and management. Therefore, I will need to enhance my skills by pursuing further studies. In my practice, I have encountered a shortage of nurses as the main problem. To alleviate burnout attributed to overworking, the nurses were divided into two teams, which worked in shifts.
Skills
Nurse heads should have the following skills to ensure that the organization receives high-quality health care treatment. Teamwork is important in improving the performance of the staff and nurses at the hospital (Bradley & Moore 2019). The ability to follow instructions is an important skill, which is valuable to the nurses. Thus, team leaders within a health care system should hone their team-building skills through attending training, and evidence-based practices materials. In addition, team leaders should have leadership and Innovative skills. These skills allow them to define the direction of the organization in a productive manner. The success of health care organizations is dependent on the innovativeness portrayed by the staff and the management leaders.
References
Bradley, J. M., & Moore, L. W. (2019). The perceptions of professional leadership coaches regarding the roles and challenges of nurse managers. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49 (2), 105-109.
West, M. A., & Markiewicz, L. (2016). Effective team working in health care. The Oxford handbook of health care management, 231-254.