Check out our blog:
​"Improving Healthcare Today"
  • Home
  • Why Five-Star Clinical?
  • Testimonials
  • What We Do
  • Services
  • Contact
  • Consultants
  • Blog
Picture
Picture
Improving Healthcare Today
​

By: Roberta Brofman, President

Strong Mentorship Leads to Strong Leadership. Strong Leadership Leads to Strong Organizations.

4/3/2017

1 Comment

 
          Mentorship is an essential quality of leadership. However, in a profession plagued by chronic shortages, who has time for mentoring? The impact that nursing leaders have on an organization is far-reaching. Therefore, it is essential that resources are allotted to their mentorship and training.
         Too often highly competent clinicians, recognized for their nursing expertise, are promoted into management roles with little or no training. They are given a new office, a title and it is assumed that they know how to lead. I refer to it as, “Poof, you’re a manager!” syndrome.
         At best, these new leaders learn by trial and error. At worst, they leave the role feeling defeated and wondering what went wrong. Administrators are then left trying to figure out how such a competent clinician was unable to deliver in the new role.
          It is not uncommon for these leadership roles to go unfilled, forcing administrations to place interim Directors of Nursing (DON) to fill the gap while they search outside the organization for talent. Had they invested in leadership training and succession planning for all nursing staff, this costly problem might have been prevented.
          The investment is well worth the time and money because the return on investment (ROI) is substantive. Strong leaders who can develop talent, provide structure and create a culture of quality and caring are essential to the success of the organization.
Strong nurse leaders:
  • Establish meaningful goals for themselves and their employees;
  • Create a positive culture for learning and caring;
  • Create successful programming to meet the needs of patients and staff;
  • Problem-solve creatively while adding value;
  • Role model professional behavior and outstanding customer service;
  • Recruit and retain the best performers who reflect the mission of the organization;
  • Coach and guide staff while developing new talent for succession planning;
  • Identify gaps in performance to ensure quality outcomes;
  • Manage time, resources and people to control costs and increase revenue
          Quality leaders performing these functions provide an environment in which staff and morale thrive, turnover is reduced, patient satisfaction improves and revenue is boosted. The reputation of the organization continues to be strengthened and the organization is protected from unnecessary risk.
1 Comment
Michelle Spalding-Gates
4/19/2017 06:24:23 am

I couldn't agree with you more. Many nurses who go into management/leadership roles are coming into it from a floor nurse background. Things are much different working on the unit than they are in management. I know that when employers post positions, they are looking to hire someone who can fill the role quickly, but wouldn't they rather have a quality leader who is trained correctly and knows the inner workings of the management end of things than one who can start sooner? Even nurses who have management background could still benefit from a more comprehensive orientation to their position other than here's your keys to your office have a nice day. Even with 15+ yrs experience in nursing, I still rest assured in the fact that I have mentorship in my position. We can't know everything about everything and every situation that may or may not arise. Strong leaders are proactive. They prepare their team and provide the tools necessary for not only individual success, but success as a whole company. I have always lived by the motto " you're only as strong as your weakest link." So why not become a part of providing for staff success instead of setting them up for failure? If only more companies took on your mentorship philosophy, Nursing and Healthcare as a whole would be so much better for both staff and in turn patients/residents alike.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2017
  • Home
  • Why Five-Star Clinical?
  • Testimonials
  • What We Do
  • Services
  • Contact
  • Consultants
  • Blog