The essay requires: A definition of patient safety. A concise description of thr
ID: 122745 • Letter: T
Question
The essay requires: A definition of patient safety. A concise description of three leadership styles and their essential characteristics. A discussion of the relationship between leadership and patient safety in clinical practice. Critical analysis of how each of these three leadership styles could be used to promote patient safety in one specific instance (for example, reducing medication error, reducing the incidence of patient falls) in the hospital inpatient setting. Student Directions: Carefully read and understand the student directions and the Marking Criteria and Standards: Assessment 2, that are provided to assist you in preparation and submission of your Essay. Use at least five (5) recent (i.e. from 2011) peer reviewed academic research /evidence based journal articles (preferably from nursing or midwifery management and leadership journals) to adequately support critical discussion points. The quality of your critical discussion will depend largely on the appropriateness and quality of references and how well these are used to provide evidence and support for that discussion.Explanation / Answer
A. Patient safety: Patient safety is an essential and vital component of quality nursing care. It is a freedom from accidental injury. Patient safety is a top priority in many hospitals,. Strong health care teams reduce infection rates, put checks in place to prevent mistakes, and ensure strong lines of communication between hospital staff, patients, and families. In the 2011joint commission stated improving staff communication, reduce the risk infectious disease, use medicines safely, Medication reconciliation are identify patient safety risk are the primary patient safety goals.
B. Leadership style and its essential characteristics:
Hospital business activity is influenced by a variety of internal and external forces. Organizations are currently analyzing trends in the healthcare environment as external factors come to bear on facilities and the nurse manager or nurse leader should consider the internal forces. The nurse manager can manage the internal environment. Nurses play vital roles in health care organizations. How they are managed by their leaders can drastically affect their performance and influence patient outcomes. It is important to understand the different leadership styles that are often found in the workplace, as well as their effects on the staff and those under their care.
1. Transactional Leadership: A leader of this type will try to ensure that the staff complies with rules by instituting a system of rewards and punishments. Those individuals who follow his or her instructions and achieve the set targets will be rewarded accordingly. On the other hand, those who fail to obey and to reach the goals will be punished for their transgressions. This style is firmly focused on the supervision of subordinates, keeping the organization running smoothly and improving group performance. This leadership style is effective in managing a crisis and completing highly detailed projects.
Characteristics:
Extrinsic motivation
Practicality
Resistant to change
Discourage independent thinking
Rewards performance
Constrained thinking
2. Democratic Leadership: With this style, the team is encouraged to speak up and join in the decision-making process. The open communication makes all staff members feel that their voices matter. They are more concerned about the things that go on in the organization knowing that they can influence situations if they act on them. Workers are given their own personal responsibilities and are accountable for reaching certain targets. They get feedback on their performance, which allows them to adjust if necessary. The focus is on improving the quality of the systems and processes, not on finding errors made by the individual team members.
Characteristics:
Distribution of responsibility
Empowering group members
Aiding group decision-making process
3. Transformational Leadership: This style is leadership by example. Followers see their leader’s behaviors, and they are inspired to change for the better. They see the hard work from the top as well as the concern for their well-being. They perform beyond all expectations because they put in more effort than usual. They no longer put themselves first as they place more importance on what is best for the organization. Leaders provide a clear vision of the future that motivates staff members to exceed themselves. Old assumptions and traditions are questioned to come up with novel ideas for solving problems more effectively.
Characteristics:
Self-management
Ability to take the right risks
Make difficult decisions
Inspirational
Entertain new ideas
C. Relationship between leadership and patient safety:
A number of studies have looked into the relationships between nursing leadership and patient outcomes. The results are quite fascinating, as they reveal definite links between the two. For instance, transformational leadership was associated with reduced medication errors in the majority of the studies. It seems as though things are done much more carefully inside the hospital when this approach is taken. The style also was related to lower patient mortality in half of the studies. Patients somehow get better care and treatment, which allow them to survive their ordeal.
D. Critical analysis:
Leadership is the critical element in a successful patient safety program and is non-delegable. The relational types of leadership that include the transformation and Transactional styles have a common effect on patient satisfaction. People are generally happier with the service that they receive for both acute care and home health care. The need for restraints is also lessened as patients are much more cooperative with their nurses. Aside from the lower incidence of medication errors, there are also fewer reported hospital-acquired infections and the outcome is more likely to be positive.
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.