NURS 6201 Module 5 Assignment Empowerment of the Nurse Leader in Organizational Structures

• NURS 6201 Module 5 Assignment

Empowerment of the Nurse Leader in Organizational Structures

Student Name

NURS 6201

Walden University

Prof. Name

Submission Date

Effective leadership from nurses is essential for change to be made in health services. Strategically developing and setting goals for nurse leaders improves their capacity to impact patient care, team behavior, and organizational outcomes (Flaubert et al., 2021). This assessment is based on the use of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals to improve leadership skills. By establishing goals, nurse leaders can improve decision-making, communication, and team motivation, leading to an effective and patient-friendly healthcare setting.

Assessment of Leadership Strengths and Areas for Improvement

I think that I am a good nurse leader and that I have good communication skills, teamwork, and advocacy with patients and staff. I can create a healthy work environment and create team solutions in difficult situations through evidence-based practice. My clear thinking and ability to adapt to change enable me to make good decisions to ensure quality and efficiency in the care of my patients.

But I have learnt to delegate and to time manage better as sometimes I take more than my share of work on myself and forget to ask my team to do some work. Further, improving my financial literacy, i.e., healthcare budgeting and resource allocation, would also improve my leadership in decision-making within organizations. Through the development of SMART goals, I will work to further enhance these areas and continue to develop into a confident nurse leader.

SMART Goals to Enhance Leadership Behaviors and Skills

As outlined in the literature of leadership, delegation and financial literacy are cited as leadership competencies that nurse leaders need in order to be successful in their organizations, and are SMART goals

SMART Goal 1: Team Empowerment and Delegation Enhancement

• Specific: I will be able to enhance my delegating skills to effectively delegate work to team members based on skills and strengths.
• Measurable: provide at least one leadership delegation opportunity during each shift and collect feedback from the team regarding delegations of work.
• Achievable: By attending a leadership program or mentoring opportunity within 3 months, I will be able to be a leader in delegating.
• Relevant: Effective task delegation will help teams be more productive, less burnt out, and better patient care providers.
• Time-bound: Within 6 months, I will be more effective in delegation by cutting down my personal task load by 25% and enhancing team involvement in decision-making.

SMART Goal 2: Financial Literacy in Healthcare Leadership

• Specific: I will grasp the idea of healthcare budgeting, financial decision-making, and resource management.
• Measurable: I will go to at least one healthcare finance course or workshop and I will apply financial principles to leadership activities.
• Achievable: I will have a monthly meeting with financial administrators and review monthly budget reports in my department.
• Relevant: By improving my financial literacy, I will be able to make better decisions to help me use available resources optimally and provide better cost-effective care to patients.
• Time-bound: There will be evidence of competency in attending budget planning meetings and making at least one suggestion for an improvement plan that is cost-effective in 9 months.

Alignment of SMART Goals with Identified Behaviors for Improvement

My SMART objectives are directly related to my focused leadership enhancement – Delegation & Financial Literacy which are important areas that I believe, if I meet them, will help me to be a better nurse leader. I feel better about myself for being able to trust my employees, to delegate, and not working myself to death, and my employees feel empowered and are more cooperative.

This is connected to one of my goals: Improve team dynamics and optimize workflow (Silva et al., 2022). Likewise, the financial strength will help me to make wise decisions about my budget and prioritize the allocation of my resources for the best benefit to the patient’s quality of care, while at the same time providing the best quality of care. Through these objectives, I will not only increase my operational leadership but also my skills as a strategist in making decisions that will positively impact my team and organization.

Expanding Leadership Influence through the Implementation of SMART Goals

When I am able to successfully apply the SMART goals, I will be able to strengthen my sphere of influence and become credible and influential within my organization. I will provide opportunities for professional development for my team, build a highly engaged and productive team, and, in doing so, I will be a leader who will build a team with high expectations through better delegation.

This will lead to improved trust and collaboration among staff, enhance their decision-making processes and working relationships (Moradi et al., 2024). Second, acquiring financial knowledge will help me actively participate in financial budgeting and resource management to become a smart and strategic planner of organizational planning (Bai, 2023). I bring experience to the table and will instill confidence at the highest level, and be ready to support the implementation of action steps that will lead to patient care and process improvement.

Potential Barriers and Challenges in Implementing SMART Goals

Some challenges and obstacles that might occur are resistance to change, lack of time, and fewer resources to achieve my SMART goals. Delegation will be challenging if members aren’t willing to accept new duties, and/or in the absence of trust in responsibility sharing (Moradi et al., 2024). This requires effective communication, networking, and, of course, the building of an accountability culture. Furthermore, the continuous development of leadership skills may be interrupted by time constraints because of the high patient throughput and administrative workload. Managing time approach and delegating will need to be a priority and made a habit. Lastly, lack of accessibility of training programs or financial information can limit financial literacy (Zubair et al., 2023). I will ask the financial leaders within the business for their advice, and I will continue to work on myself and make continuous progress towards my goals to correct this.

Organizational Resources and Empowerment Opportunities

I have access to the different opportunities for empowerment and resources for organization in my workplace to support my SMART goals. Content on delegation and money management can be enriched by leadership development programs, mentoring by effective Nurse Leaders, and management training sessions. Additionally, I have the chance to continue my learning in budgeting for healthcare via in-house budget reports, budgeting training, and meetings with financial administrators (Xu & Zhao, 2024).

Other professional development activities, such as continuing education courses, nursing leadership conferences, and online learning materials, may also provide me with opportunities to learn leadership skills. Further, integration of interdisciplinary work and information sharing with colleagues and/or management will further enhance my ability to be effective in my delegation skills and increase my influence in the organizational hierarchy. These assets are lived out actively, and I can apply my goals to develop as a nurse leader through these.

Conclusion

As a nurse leader, specific SMART goals I will set will help me to improve my effective delegation skills and to be financially literate, which will eventually lead to having a more robust influence as a nurse leader. The use of organizational resources, mentorship and professional growth opportunities will ensure that I am advancing as challenges like resistance to change and lack of time may arise. I will be a better leader, have a greater presence, and be effective in achieving these objectives; health care will be better and more patient-focused.

References

Bai, R. (2023). Impact of financial literacy, mental budgeting and self-control on financial wellbeing: Mediating impact of investment decision making. PLOS ONE, 18(11), e0294466–e0294466. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294466

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Nurses leading change. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573918/

Moradi, T., Rezaei, M., & Alavi, N. M. (2024). BMC Health Services Research, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11054-4

Silva, J. A. M., Mininel, V. A., Agreli, H. F., Peduzzi, M., Harrison, R., & Xyrichis, A. (2022). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022(10). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9549469/

Xu, H., & Zhao, X. (2024). Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1392811

Zubair, A. S., Sivakolundu, D. K., DeVito, M., Dewey, J. J., Zubair, A. S., Sivakolundu, D. K., DeVito, M., & Dewey, J. J. (2023). Financial literacy among medical trainees and faculty: A pilot study. Cureus, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.44829