Nursing Leadership 5: Group
A group refers to an association of individuals with unique capabilities that come together for harnessing their strengths towards the attainment of a shared vision (Kearney-Nunnery, 2015). In the healthcare sector, medical personnel has professional obligations of participating in interprofessional teams whose utilization in the recent past have shown a massive improvement of the patient outcomes. For instance, Epstein, (2014) noted that multidisciplinary collaboration in health care is of the essence for the betterment of patients’ health experience. As such, an understanding of the concept of group processes is of interest if health care professionals are to institutionalize effective teams.
Concerning my experience of working in and with groups, I possess a fair share of insights that I wish to share. The group that I will focus on in this discussion is one that I am presently a member and targets to start a water project in a local community with high incidences of water-borne infections. In this team, my role is that of a secretary who takes minutes during meeting sessions. Currently, the group is at the norming stage, which entails members agreeing upon the rules and regulations that will guide their proceedings as a team (Kelly, & Tazbir, 2104).
Looking back to the time when the group started, I have learnt a lot that I choose to utilize in the future. A case in point, from this group, I have learnt why there is a need for controlling problematic roles like dominator and aggressor within a group. Primarily, this team utilizes a here and then approach that seeks to stop and correct an individual when he/she seems to lose track of the rules that relate to these challenging roles. Central to the success of this strategy is if the group has a strong leadership that asserts compliance with the corrective measure (Marquis, & Huston, 2015).
In closure, the strategies that I chose to use in facilitating future group processes include strengthening the interpersonal relationships and utilization of excellent communication skills. According to Rigolosi, (2013) strengthening interpersonal relationships and use of good communication strategies will enable a leader to foster cohesion among members of a group, which is of utmost significance for successful teams. Clearly, with such measures in stock, I have the surety of steering the groups that I lead to success.
References
Epstein, N. E. (2014). Multidisciplinary in-hospital teams improve patient outcomes: A review. Surgical neurology international, 5(Suppl 7), S295.
Kearney-Nunnery, R. (2015). Advancing Your Career Concepts in Professional Nursing. FA Davis.
Kelly, P., & Tazbir, J. (2014). Essentials of nursing leadership & management.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Rigolosi, E. L. M. (2013). Management and leadership in nursing and health care: An experiential approach. New York: Springer.
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