Question

Describe the responsibility of the nurse in a leadership position in delegation and decision making.

Answer 1

Introduction : leader is a part of management and one of the most significant elements of direction. A leader may or may not be a manager but a manager must be a leader.

leadership represents an abstract quality of a nurse . it is a psychological process of influencing followers or subordinates are providing guidence to them.

definition:

leadership : it is the ability to influence other people.

delegation : delegation is defined as transferring of responsibility to subordinates on the behalf of manager. its a act through which a nurse manager gives authority to others to attain certain assignments  

decision making : decision making is a systemic process of choosing among alternatives and putting the choice in to action.

functions of leadership in nursing

1) executive

2) planner

3) policy maker

4) expert

5) external group representative

6) controller of internal relationship

7) purveyor of rewards and punishment  

types of delegation followed by nursing leadership

- full delegation ( example general manager of a hospital of the hospital will give full authority to NS to make decisions about nursing department )

- partial delegation (( NS to nusing supervisors)

- conditional delegation ( in a special condition only the specific person can access the authority )

- formal delegation

informal delegation

principle followed by nursing leaders while delegation of authority

- it should be writtern and specific

- authority and responsibility should be equal

- should be properly planned and exercised

- right person should be choosen

- good reporting should be established with in the members

- while delegating the authority leaders should have certain objectives to get certain results

- superiors should be ready to give support and guidance

- nurse leader should plan in such a way that overall responsibity lies with the superiors.  

While delegatin of authority a nurse leader should remember some pints

1) should not delegate total authority

2) a good leader will never delegate authority which he/she himself/herself cannot posses.

3) delegation of authority should be done only for organizational purpose and not for personal purpose

4) it does not imply reduction in power of nurse manager/ leader

5) delegation of authority can be exercised only by higher authority

Application of decision making by nursing leaders in nursing administraion

according to Ann Bill Tylor

a. Non rountine decision making : made by directors of nursing . the outcome of the problem will be unpredictable. eg: changing ways of organizing for deliver of nursing care .

b. routine decision making : made by mid-level and low level nurse managers , the outcome will be predictable .

eg. assigning duty roster , assign the secuirity laws.

when a nurse leader aim at determining or changing the means and ends of the enterprise. they require a thorough study , analysis and reflective thinking on the part of nurse administrators. strategic decisions are usually taken by top managers , while routine decisions are made mostly by lower level managers .

to manatain an effective ledership a nurse leader should bellow mention points  

1. experince : experince give a nurse leader the requisite vision through the training and experince over the years. and to obtain most the leader can apply democratic leadership style to get more no of solutions.

2. authority: enable manager to take quick and sound decisions.

3. facts : evidence based practice

4. intutions : it includes guess, work, common sense to achive best results

5. reseach and analysis

6. experimentation  

decision making authorities based on leadership style in nursing

a. individual ( it can be both autocratic and bureaucratic )

eg: autocratic to handle emergency situations or misbehaviour of staffs where as bureaucratic while following hospital policy, assigning responsibilities)

b. group ( laissare- faire )

eg: to maintain the flow work chief of nursing delegate some authorities to all supervisors in a group . each individual supervisor work in his / her own style to achive same objective.

c.committess ( democratic)

eg. during policy making CON will obtatain all higher and mid level managers opinions

some examples of application of leadership , decison making, delegation in nursing

1. patient care coordinator : even new graduate nurse have leadership responsibilities when they begin in nursing

eg. establishing good and priorities for each day , establish time management

2. employee responsibilities

eg. continues evaluation to give quality care

3. guidelines for delegating nursing care

eg. direct the work of nonprofessional staff and volunteers and consider delegating tasks to nonprofessional staff

4. mentorship

it is a relatonship in which an experinced individual advise and assist a less esperinced individual

5. preceptorship

the proceptor is selected to introduce an employee to new responsibilities through teaching and guidance

6. continuing education

updating the knowledge