Intricate Role of Management
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Intricate Role of Management
The terms “manager” and “leader” are two terms that people use them to mean the same thing, but instinctively the two terms have different meanings. The difference between the leader and manager in term of their roles, duties, qualification and experienced would be based on the data collected after interviewing head nurse and team leader (Bertocci, 2009). Besides, it will help one in choosing a career to pursue between leadership and management.
The head nurse holds a position assigned to him/her within the structure of the organization. In that position, one has the authority to make decision control over some processes in the facility. Besides, these managers are expected to carry specific duties and responsibilities as per the job description. Nursing managers are also required to posses some minimum qualification (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination, 2014). The minimum qualification and experience for the head nurse is a masters degree in the relevant field and five years experience.
A team leader does not have the recognized power and authority in the medical facility in most cases. The power that is being held by the leaders comes from their ability to be able to influence others through good interpersonal and communication skills. Head nurses must show good leadership skills in the areas in which they are managing. One is not required to be supervised or managed so as to qualify as a good and effective leader. When one works productively within his/her area of specialization with expression of enthusiasm for the unit goals, one is assisting in directing the group or organizations in ways that make it run its operation cohesively (Grohar & Langan, 2011). Also, one is sowing the important seeds of leadership. Based on the results of the interview, the team leaders in the organization were not required to posses any qualification and experience. They were only required to show and prove their leadership skills at the various levels in which they are operating.
Leadership skills are also demonstrated through mentorship programs. Even if the organization is not having a formal mentorship program, one has many opportunities in which he/she can share useful insights and knowledge with others (Bertocci, 2009). This is possible through making time to offer friendship and support to the inexperienced nurses in the facility. Also, one can support nursing practice through influencing the general quality of care being provided by the nurses to its patients. This is possible through interacting with other nurses and educating them on important of quality services to the patients.
The team leaders are required to demonstrate good leadership skills in solving the problems, especially if they are advocating for the safety and quality of services being offered to the patients in the organization. The team leader needs not to be a head nurse advocating for changes that would improve service delivery in the hospital. As a team leader, one is required to be an example to the others in the organization either negative or positive. The challenges that are faced by the majority of team leaders is their ability to adopt the required character from different leadership styles being implemented in the facility (Grohar & Langan, 2011). The other traits that are required to be an effective team leader include integrity, setting realistic goals and good communication so as to communicate effectively with the others.
The head nurses are more effective if these managers have a broad range of the leadership skills. The skills include the ability of the managers to motivate the others. For instance, a head nurse who is making the decision without the inputs of others may be termed as a dictator. Head nurses of this nature are not able to build an effective team. The head nurses can manage more effectively by adapting the Management by Walking around (MBWA) management styles (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination, 2014). This style gives an opportunity for the head nurse to interact with other junior nurses, make the junior nurses believe that you are interested in them and their work and also gives one an opportunity to evaluate the quality of services being delivered to the patients.
Both the head nurses and team leaders do rely on the critical skills and their ability to envision future successes. Ideally, the team leaders have been able to rise to the executive or management level as a result of their motivation to grow their careers (Bertocci, 2009). The intrinsic trait of leaders is their drive to higher excellence and self-motivation.
There is a lot of training and education for both management styles and leadership skills. The individual who wants to pursue these careers can tap into these resources by reading widely or taking courses (Grohar & Langan, 2011). The courses that are offered for these two careers in the medical field cover budgeting, reporting and analysis that are vital skills for these careers.
Based on the roles of the team leaders and head nurses or manager in the medical facilities, pursuing leadership as a career would be more beneficial than pursuing a management career. The leadership qualities are mainly inborn, but the others are acquired as one climb the leadership ladder. Besides, at the apex of leadership career, one can qualify to be a good manager since to succeed as an effective leader, one is required to have good interpersonal and communication skills that are also important for managers to excel.
Reference
American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination. (2014). Leadership Management and Leadership styles. Washington: American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination.
Bertocci, D. I. (2009). Leadership in Organizations: There is a Difference Between Leaders and Managers. Lanham: University Press of America.
Grohar, M., & Langan, J. (2011). Leadership and management in nursing . New Jersey: Prentice Hall.