02 Jul Thoughts4/1

What are your thoughts??     Nurse leaders are known for their leadership skills, knowledgeable resources and a person of power. To be able to run a successful team or a successful department in the hospital, a nurse leader must advocate for their employees. Nurse leaders run a department of a hospital but it is ultimately the staff nurses that provide safe and effective patient care, adapt to changes of the department and to meet the needs of the hospital. A way that nurse leaders advocate for their employees by treating everyone with the same respect and fairness. If a leader is fair in all measures of leading a team, then favoritism is eliminated. Another example is how “nursing leaders can advocate for staff by actively involving staff in decisions that directly affect the practice environment” (Tomajan, 2012). Actively involving staff can make them feel wanted and part of a team that they want to work hard for and take the time to make it better. Nurse leaders can also advocate for nursing resources that are used every day by patient care.      Advocacy for nurse leaders directly to employees can affect patient care and outcomes in many ways. If nurses have the proper resources such as supplies to care for their patients, breaks when needed, and interpersonal relationship with their leaders and managers in the department and hospital that they work in, then providing safe and efficient care is easy. If nurses have proper staffing, nurses are able to care for each patient in a safe, timely manner. If staff nurses feel safe with expressing fears and frustrations and having support from nurse leaders, then they are more likely to work feeling positive and uplifted by their nurse leaders.  Effective and meaningful leadership can lead staff nurses down the path of support, a positive environment and a successful department to care for patients and their families.