Qualities of a Nurse Leader
Many healthcare providers require a nurse leader to aid in overseeing the members of staff. Changes in guards in various health setups require leaders who act as a link between the old retiring personnel and the green incumbent nurses. Grooming the new crop of nurses is essential for the health facility to maintain their services even when retirement hits (Anonson et al. 2014). It is, therefore, necessary that these nurse leaders possess certain qualities to perform their roles at a maximum.
Nurse leaders should exhibit emotional intelligence. The incoming trainees are thrown into a new environment; therefore, it is the duty of the nurse leaders to identify the potential challenges. These can be either mental or physical and address them significantly. Nurse leaders are also crucial in maintaining the team together. They should also have the integrity to deduce the right choices at critical moments easily. Critical thinking is also vital in ensuring that they are competently making the right decisions. The nursing environment requires perfect decision-making skills, which can be life-saving.
Nurse leaders should always maintain professional traits within their roles. This pertains to how they carry themselves and how they perform their duties. This trait ensures that they are considered good mentors to their juniors. They empower the trainees in various ways to groom them entirely for their roles. Nurse leaders should also command respect within their staff and have excellent communication skills. The connection is crucial in ensuring that the leaders’ voice is heard and the duty performed well (Anonson et al. 2014). Having excellent communication skills is essential in communicating with junior nurses and executing their roles.
Nurse leaders are crucial in the running of health organizations. They play an essential role in the facility; however, not every nurse can be a nurse leader. They should have certain qualities that distinguish them from the rest of the crowd.
References
Anonson, J., Walker, M. E., Arries, E., Maposa, S., Telford, P., & Berry, L. (2014). Qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of frontline nurses. Journal of nursing management, 22(1), 127-136.