NURS 8302 WEEK 9 ASSIGNMENT
The American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) has developed the Nurse Leader Core Competencies that offer the framework for the knowledge, skills, and abilities linked with effective leadership. The competencies are grouped into six domains: Leader Within, Professionalism, Business Skills and Principles, Communication and Relationship Building, Knowledge of the Health Care Environment, and Leadership (AONL, n.d.). The purpose of this paper is to describe my self-assessment results with respect to the nurse leadership competencies and my identified nurse leadership development goals.
Self-Assessment In Relation To the Nurse Leadership Competencies
Following a self-assessment of my nurse leadership competencies, I have identified my strengths and potential gaps that I should work on. My leadership competencies and strengths are in the domains of Leader Within, Professionalism, Communication and Relationship Building, and Leadership. Regarding the Leader Within domain, I can effectively implement reflective practice and have a strong understanding that leadership begins from within. In my nurse leadership journey, I have come to learn from my successes, challenges, setbacks, and failures, and I have demonstrated curiosity and an enthusiasm to discover and learn more (AONL, n.d.). Besides, I seek to develop my career continuously by engaging in coaching and mentorship programs, and I have developed a personal and professional career plan to guide my career development.
My professional and organizational accountability and my knowledge of health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) are my strengths in Professionalism. I effectively demonstrate professional and organizational accountability by aligning my professional behavior with personal values and ensuring they match my organization’s culture. Besides, as a nurse leader, I work towards promoting a just culture of accountability and hold myself and my colleagues answerable for measurable, high-quality, and cost-effective outcomes (AONL, n.d.). Furthermore, I address SDOH and health equity by implementing and maintaining the most favorable, culturally competent healthcare for all healthcare consumers. Concerning Communication and Relationship Building, I can communicate with precision and integrity with patients and colleagues and uphold transparency and truth-telling (AONL, n.d.). Furthermore, I have learned to establish and cultivate relationships with patients and colleagues and have created alliances and strategic partnerships that have helped to attain desired goals.
Nevertheless, I have identified gaps in the Business Skills and Principles and Knowledge of the Health Care Environment domains. Regarding Business Skills and Principles, I need to put more effort into understanding the concepts of financial, strategic, and human resource management. As a nurse leader, I need to broaden my knowledge of economics, finance, accounting, cost-benefit analysis, and business models to manage financial resources in healthcare effectively. Additionally, I need to broaden my knowledge of the Health Care Environment, specifically in the areas of nursing practice and application. I also identified gaps in my knowledge of accreditation as well as local, state, and federal regulatory standards.
Goals for Nurse Leadership Development That I Would Like To Pursue
Based on the self-assessment results, I have identified four goals for my nurse leadership development. These goals are:
- Foster a culture of life-long learning in my organizations. To be an effective nurse leader, I will be required to be committed to lifelong learning and continuous improvement. I aim to invest in my growth and development, inspiring my colleagues and subordinates to do the same, thus creating a culture of excellence within my team (Mlambo et al., 2021).
- Pursue specialized certifications in leadership and other areas of interest like financial, human resource, and strategic management. Pursuing these certifications will significantly deepen my leadership knowledge, skills, and expertise and expand my career opportunities in nursing leadership (Wei et al., 2023). An example is the Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML) certification, offered by the AONL, which covers areas in financial management, human resources, and strategic planning.
- Develop a leadership mentorship program for nurses at my workplace. Mentorship plays a significant role in cultivating leaders within an organization. Thus, I purpose to establish a leadership mentorship program in my organization that will significantly benefit the mentors and mentees as well as align the nurses’ personal and professional goals with the organizational goals (Wei et al., 2023). I will advise novice nurse leaders to seek guidance from their experienced mentors to obtain insights, feedback, and support in their professional journey.
- Identify evidence-based research and translate it into practice. This goal relates to Knowledge of the Health Care Environment, specifically Evidence-based practice. As a nurse leader, I am required to identify problems that affect the delivery of care and patient outcomes in my organization. Thus, I seek to engage in research and identify evidence-based interventions established to improve the delivery of care and quality of care provided to patients (Elsheikh et al., 2023). I will also identify the most practical intervention and translate it into practice, which will drive innovation in patient care delivery
Why These Goals Are Pertinent To My Development as a Nurse Leader and Support My Healthcare Organization or Nursing Practice
The above goals are fundamental to my nurse leadership development and will significantly support current healthcare organizations and nurse leader practices.
Fostering a culture of lifelong learning in my organization will help foster a culture of learning among the employees and steer innovation in patient care delivery (Mlambo et al., 2021). Healthcare providers who are constantly learning will be current with the latest healthcare guidelines and evidence-based interventions, which will improve patient care delivery and health outcomes. In addition, pursuing specialized certifications will help propel me into leadership roles and provide me with the skills and knowledge necessary to stand out in healthcare administration, leadership, and management (Wei et al., 2023). A CNML certification will increase my marketability and confidence as a nurse leader and empower me to impact patient care positively and in my organization.
Establishing a nurses’ mentorship program will promote skill and leadership development, empowering them to take leadership roles in their careers. The program will also be crucial in influencing the nurses’ attitudes and work approach, making them more invested in their roles, which will benefit the organization. Furthermore, engaging in evidence-based research will increase my understanding of the healthcare environment. This will develop my leadership competence in EBP, which will be fundamental to improving the practice environment, patient outcomes, and organizational success (Elsheikh et al., 2023). As a nurse, my role in EBP will entail integrating the best scientific evidence, my professional experience, and organizational evidence in making informed decisions.
Conclusion
The AONL nurse leadership competencies apply to all nurse leaders, from novices to experienced executives. From the self-assessment, I identified strengths in the domains Leader Within, Professionalism, Communication and Relationship Building, and Leadership. However, I need to improve my competencies in Business Skills and Principles and Knowledge of the Health Care Environment. My goals are to Foster a culture of lifelong learning, pursue specialized certifications, create a mentorship program, and implement an EBP initiative.
References
American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (n.d.). AONL nurse leader competencies. https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies
Elsheikh, R., Le Quang, L., Nguyen, N. Q., Van, P. T., Hung, D. T., Makram, A. M., & Huy, N. T. (2023). The role of nursing leadership in promoting evidence-based nursing practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, pp. 48, 93–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.06.007
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
Wei, H., Haddad, L. M., Nwokocha, T. A., Powers, M., Wei, A., Carroll, Q., & Ballard, N. (2023). Organizational culture and roles in promoting nurse specialty certifications: A qualitative study in the United States. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 10(2), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.03.003
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
- Explain your self-assessment in relation to the nurse leadership competencies. Be sure to identify your strengths and potential gaps in relation to these competencies.
- Describe at least four goals for nurse leadership development that you would like to pursue, given the results of your self-assessment. Be specific.
- Explain why these goals are pertinent to your development as a nurse leader. How will developing these leadership competencies support your healthcare organization or nursing practice? Be specific.
Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632Links to an external site.). All papers submitted must use this formatting.