Journaling provides a valuable tool for recording, reflecting on, and reviewing your learning. This approach provides an opportunity for you to \”connect the dots\” and observe the relationships between and among activities, interactions, and outcomes.
Unlike a personal journal of thoughts and feelings, this leadership journal is a record of your activities, assessments, and learning related to this academic experience.
Journal entries should include a record of the number of hours spent with your nurse leader each week.
Write a journal entry of 750-1,500 words on the subject of power, including the following:
Practicum Activities Reflection: Provide observations and thoughts on the activities in your practicum setting during Topics 1 and 2.
Application of Leadership: Professional responsibility and power, authenticity, integrity, and emotional intelligence are key factors of multiple leadership styles. Discuss how you have observed your preceptor or your nurse leader in your professional setting integrate these elements into leadership styles.
Practicum Project Preparation: What are your ideas for your practicum project? How does this project refine and build skills related to your career goals?
Leadership Video Reflection: Reflect on at least two things you learned from the \”Servant Leadership – Issue of Power\” video.
Leadership Journal
Name:
Weeks Covering:
Preceptor/Mentor:
Clinical/Practicum Site:
Hours Worked (past 2 weeks):___
Total Hours: ____/150 total of all hours worked up to this point
Practicum Activities Reflection:
Activities in the practicum site during Topics 1 and 2 generated numerous insights that are relevant for a nursing student who is aspiring to become a nurse leader in the future. The coronavirus disease (2019) affected organizational operations worldwide and my practicum setting is not an exception (Crain et al., 2021). The activities at the practicum site are in line with COVID-19 guidelines. Leaders at the facility ensure that both employees and students completing their practicum activities maintain social distancing whenever they are performing their assigned duties. For example, my preceptor, who also offers help to several other students limits congestion by meeting every student individually. Other healthcare professionals have no choice but to avoid congestion in their units. Based on how she carries out activities, I have observed that my preceptor has strong leadership skills. She is the Lead Case Manager and oversees approximately 50 case managers and nurses. She leads by example, is very knowledgeable, is easily approachable to her staff, and is very supportive of them. She demonstrates a strong work ethic and believes in encouraging her staff will also empower them to feel confident in themselves. Similar to what I have learned in the course, leading by example and remaining supportive to staff are key leadership skills that today’s nurse leaders should emulate.
Application of Leadership:
My preceptor integrated various elements into her leadership style. An effective leader should be able to exert some degree of influence among his or her followers (Jones & York, 2017). My preceptor demonstrates professional responsibility and power by influencing others to do the right things. She effectively manages patients’ cases and offers the desired support for healthcare providers and students completing their practicum. Integrity, authenticity, and emotional intelligence are some of the key leadership elements that have contributed to the success of the leadership initiatives implemented by my preceptor at the practicum site. The practicum setting employs healthcare professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds. High patient volumes sometimes cause pressure but my preceptor always demonstrates cultural competence and manages other employees’ emotions effectively to prevent interruption of activities. My preceptor also adheres to the professional code of conduct as outlined in the ‘Nursing Code of Ethics’ (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Generally, my preceptor’s leadership behaviors have positively affected the lives of employees, students, and patients.
Practicum Project Preparation:
The knowledge gained in the practicum setting will be of great relevance as I complete my practicum project. The project topic that I intend to explore is related to telehealth implementation to reduce emergency visits for patients with chronic illnesses. The movement restrictions imposed by countries during the COVID-19 pandemic prevented many patients with chronic illnesses from reaching healthcare organizations physically. Even with the relaxation of those policies, some patients, especially the elderly, still fear moving around to avoid contracting the disease (Lebrasseur et al., 2021). Patients with chronic illnesses for a large percentage of emergency visits at my practicum site. To increase healthcare access to patients in the wake of the pandemic, my practice setting has integrated telehealth that allows patients to reach their healthcare providers virtually. However, it is not known how the technology will impact emergency visits among patients with chronic diseases. This is the gap that I intend to address in my practicum project.
My practicum project will refine and build skills related to my career goals. Ledlow and Stephens (2018) identify the ability to lead quality improvement through evidence-based practice implementation as some of the key skills that determine the success of healthcare leaders. The practicum project will advance my knowledge regarding how to lead quality improvement projects in healthcare organizations. It will also enable me to learn how to gather evidence to inform nursing practice when addressing patient care issues. As Owen (2018) explains, skills that students acquire from practicum projects help them to attain both professional and academic growth. The practicum project will help me to achieve academic and career goals as I continue to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Leadership Video Reflection:
Nurse leaders utilize the lessons learned from other leaders to improve in their roles. The “Servant Leadership-Issue of Power” video has explored the ‘power’ concept as it relates to servant leadership. The video defines ‘power’ both from the secular and Biblical perspectives. From the secular perspective, power means the ability to determine what should happen. On the other hand, the Biblical perspective views ‘power’ as the ability to perform an action that exerts influence on others. One of the insights gained from the video is that leaders need to have the power to influence others to engage in healthy behaviors. I have also learned that a person’s leadership style is highly defined by his or her personality. I will apply these lessons in my future role to enhance my leadership effectiveness.
References
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Code of Ethics for Nurses. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/
Crain, M. A., Bush, A. L., Hayanga, H., Boyle, A., Unger, M., Ellison, M., & Ellison, P. (2021). Healthcare leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic: From innovative preparation to evolutionary transformation. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 13, 199–207. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S319829.
Jones, A. & York, S. (2017). The fragile balance of power and leadership. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 9(2), 1-14.
Lebrasseur, A., Fortin-Bédard, N., Lettre, J., Raymond, E., Bussières, E. L., Lapierre, N., Faieta, J., Vincent, C., Duchesne, L., Ouellet, M. C., Gagnon, E., Tourigny, A., Lamontagne, M. È., & Routhier, F. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults: rapid review. JMIR Aging, 4(2), e26474. https://doi.org/10.2196/26474
Ledlow, G. & Stephens, J. (2018). Leadership for health professionals: Theory, skills, and applications (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning
Owen, J. (2018). The mindset of success: Accelerate your career from good manager to great leader. London; New York, NY: Kogan Page Limited.