Leadership and management in healthcare
Introduction
In healthcare organizations, leadership and management are two related, but different terminologies. The role of managers and leaders in any healthcare organizations are different (Seyranian, 2014). Managers have the mandate of ensuring that functions of managements are well executed and implemented within an organization.
Leaders, on the other hand concentrate more on human resources management (Johansson, D. Miller, &Hamrin, 2014). They play a significant role in encouraging and motivating employees towards achieving the objectives of an organization. Healthcare managers are also in charge of planning and executing strategies as well as coordinating and controlling objective-oriented strategies within healthcare organizations (Marquis, & Huston, 2015). On the other hand, the man responsibility of leaders is ensuring that healthcare professionals can effectively, efficiently and cohesively work together. According to Seyranian (2014), sound leadership plays a significant role towards achieving the objectives and strategies of healthcare organizations.
Specific examples of managerial roles
In operating department, a nurse with management traits plays a significant role in growth and evolution of healthcare organization. There is a nurse in my department who portrays quite sound management skills. She has been assuming a managerial role for a while now, and can coordinate and plan activities within the department especially even when the supervisor is not around to oversee the performance of the fellow nurses. The nurse can execute the functions of management in her level even when her seniors are away for the day. She always gets to work on time, never leaves early and always knows what is expected of her when she gets to work. She is also a role model to her colleagues, and I am sure if I were to vote for the nurse of the month, there is no other person I would vote for. The nurse can develop and accept the evolutionary process within the department, as she is always positive and optimistic about introduction of new policies, aimed at improving patient care. She can execute policies from the senior managers at the department level and also encourage her fellow nurses to support the management towards achieve the objectives of the department. Additionally, the nurse is always willing to share her ideas on the best way to improve patient care and also ensure that the organization performs at maximum potential during our weekly meetings. She is also open-minded: She is always ready to offer positive criticism on issues she feels the management could improve on to better the experience of all staff within the organization. She is also a team leader: she coordinates the activities of her team towards achieving the operation department’s objectives.
Specific examples of leadership roles
There are individuals who have sound management skills, but there are others who portray sound leader characteristics. There is a nurse in my operational department comes off to me as nursing leader, and a not a manager because of a couple of the following reasons:
For starters, this nurse is always preaching unity within the department. She believes that the well being of a patient can only be achieved if all members of the operational department functioned as one organ. She is also of the perception that sharing and coordinating efforts among healthcare professionals can aid improving the patient’s health outcome. The nurse can communicate effectively with other nurses, as well as other professionals within the department. The other nurses listen when she speaks, meaning that they can relate with her professionally. She is always very welcoming and always ready to help new nurses to settle in the department, and also her colleagues when they get stuck at work. She encourages, guides and coordinates interns and new nurses towards ensuring that needs of the patients are met. She also encourages frequent interactions amongst nurses, like meetings after work and also other activities outside work. The nurse is able to show passion and personal investment in the success of others reaching their objectives as well as goals. The nurse does not hold any managerial position in the department, but she is well respected by all parties involved in making sure that the department performs at its maximum potential.
Conclusion
From the above observations, it is evident that leadership and management are very significant, but distinct aspects in any healthcare organization. These qualities manifest themselves differently in healthcare professionals. It is evident that some nursing professionals portray sound management qualities, while others are natural born leaders who crave for unity and the welfare of their colleagues. These two aspects are essentially important in attainment of objectives in a healthcare organization, which leads to provision of quality services. Leaders encourage and motivate employees, while managers ensure functions of management are well carried out.
Reference
Johansson, C., D. Miller, V., &Hamrin, S. (2014). Conceptualizing communicative leadership. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19(2), 147-165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ccij-02-2013-0007
Marquis, B., & Huston, C. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing (8th ed.).
Seyranian, V. (2014). Social identity framing communication strategies for mobilizing social change. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 468-486. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.10.013
