Professional identity and stewardship – Leadership interview

Professional identity and stewardship – Leadership interview

Introduction

This paper discusses the summary of an interview that I conducted with a nurse manager. The review focuses on the role of the manager as a healthcare team member, as well as her perception of professionalism and stewardship. In addition, the paper also discusses the interviewee’s opinion of nurses’ engagement in advocacy and authenticity and their involvement in power and influence when working with colleagues.

Role as a health care team member

Besides being a nurse manager at our health care facility, I have also worked as a nurse for 20 years. Due to the ever-evolving nature of nursing due to advancements in technology, I plan on collaborations among the team members. As a nurse manager, I embark on designing financial models to ensure the success of the organization. I also work on improving the nursing environment to guarantee quality health care for the patients and a conducive working environment for the staff members. I am also a member of numerous committees for the hospital.

Definition of professionalism and its influence on work

To me, professionalism is adhering to the ethical and nursing standards of care. It involves being competent, conscientious, and truthful to what you say and how you conduct yourself. As a manager, I have a responsibility to my patients, coworkers, and the healthcare facility to act as a professional. In nursing, professionalism extends beyond the appearance to include other personality traits such as honesty, attitude, willingness to help others, and effective communication skills. Being professional necessitates that I have a positive attitude and be accountable for my actions. Professional responsibility influences my work by ensuring that I show respect, be an active team member, and have the ability to make decisions.

Stewardship in healthcare

Yes, I do. In my opinion, a steward is a person who has the ability to organize people, can take care of somebody or something, and can oversee the success of a mission. In addition to leaders, nurses are also stewards. We take care of our patients by organizing ourselves and managing their health needs. As a nurse manager, I ensure that all my staff members understand their roles as well as promoting high quality healthcare.

Professional advocacy and authenticity and power and influence

Yes, it is crucial that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity. All nurses should be advocates to patients, colleagues, as well as supervisors. As nurses, we must show support to the healthcare organization, colleagues, and our leaders to positively impact the nursing profession. Authenticity not only affects the healthcare delivery system and the society but also the nursing workforce and the profession. It is vital to create a healthy working environment for the nurses since the stressful nature of the profession can lead to burnout, disability, and high rates of absenteeism, which results in the shortage of nurses. People can define power in various ways. However, to me, power is when a person has adequate knowledge and skills in their profession. Power has an impact on the people being served, the coworkers as well as leaders. Effective leaders often use power subtly and carefully, which reduces status differentials and avoids ruining their self-esteem. As an effective leader, it is essential to influence others to be positive and implement decisions that will affect the organization, patients, and the community positively.

Comparison of peer and leadership interview

In both interviews, the interviewees seemed to have a clear understanding of their roles, the definition of professionalism and its influence of their work, stewardship as well as professional advocacy, authenticity, power, and influence. Even though they have varying responsibilities in the organization, they both aim at ensuring the delivery of quality care for patients and a safe environment for the staff members.

Reference

Robinson, J. S., Walid, M. S., & Barth, A. C. M. (2012). Toward healthcare resource stewardship. New York: Nova Science Publishers.