5 Nursing Leadership Styles You Need to Utilize as a Nurse

5 Nursing Leadership Styles You Need to Utilize as a NurseIf you work in the healthcare field, especially in nursing, your focus might (understandably) be on direct patient care and kollektivwork with other medical professionals to make sure that patients are getting that best care. But as a nurse, youve also got career goals for yourself, which likely include advancement and moving up the ranks through promotions and job changes. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832388529-0) ) Whether youre just starting out as a nurse of want to level up, its time to figure out what kind of nursing leadership style works for you as you get ready to take on more managerial roles throughout your career.According to the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC), there are five main leadership categories into which nurses tend to fall. Lets look at each one.1. Autocratic LeadershipAn autocratic nurse is The Boss, full stop. A nurse who leads using this management style makes all decisions and gives specific orders and directions to subordinates, and tends to discourage questions or dissent. Theres also a low tolerance for mistakes and the people who make them.When this style works best For simple or straightforward tasks, or making sure that strict legal or medical guidelines are adhered to. It can also help in emergency situations, when there needs to be a strong voice giving direction.When this style doesnt work so well When a nurse manager wants to build trust and kollektivwork among other team members, or encourage creative problem solving.2. Laissez-Faire LeadershipThe laissez-faire nurse is the opposite of the autocratic nurse. In this style, the nurse provides no specific direction for team members, and adopts more of a hands-off approach to managing.When this style works best When the nurses team is already experienced and self-directed, and doesnt necessarily need a general giving orders.When this style doesnt work so we ll When specific decisions need to be made and implemented, or team members are inexperienced.3. Democratic LeadershipThe democratic nurse manager takes input from subordinates, and encourages open communication. The decisionmaking ultimately with the manager, but stakeholders and team members are asked for honest feedback, and given feedback in return.When this style works best When the nurse wants to build relationships with staff members based on trust and accountability, or when improving systems and processes is a priority.When this style doesnt work so well When a concrete decision needs to be made quickly, gathering feedback and testing the waters with team members isnt necessarily helpful or feasible.4. Transformational LeadershipThe transformational (sometimes also called visionary) nurse manager is focused on the big picture (improved patient care, better systems and processes), and how to get there.When this style works best When the workplace (in this case, a hospital, c linic, or other healthcare facility) is in need of big changes and improvements.When this style doesnt work so well When day-to-day decision making is required on small or specific issues.5. Servant LeadershipThe servant nurse leader focuses on team success via individual team members. Despite the meek-sounding name, this management style has been gaining popularity over the past few years. This leader targets team members needs, ensuring that they have the skills, relationships, and tools to achieve individual and group goals.When this style works best When a team has diverse members with different tasks and responsibilities.When this style doesnt work so well When top-down decisions need to be made, or a group needs to follow collective directions.So which type of nurse leader are you, and what kind of leadership style works best for your job and your career goals? Wed love to hear how unterstellung management styles work for you.

3 Major Lessons I Learned From Quitting My Job Without A Safety Net

3 Major Lessons I Learned From Quitting My Job Without A Safety Net By the spring of 2015, I had been in direct social services for nearly 10 years. I had worked exclusively in low-income communities, working with individuals and families who were facing challenges I had never encountered in my life. I kept at it because I welches really good at it. I have no problem saying now that I excel at getting people from where they are to where they want to be. I know how to meet them where they are and show them how to unleash the best versions of themselves. But back then, I welches being beat down by my job, specifically by the people above me, and I had lost sight of what I welches good at. I felt defeated and rudderless. I knew in my gut I needed to quit but I had no idea what I would do next. Here are the 3 biggest lessons I learned from taking the leap of faith and quitting a job that was killing me inside.1. You must put the oxygen mask on yourself first.I was sitting in my professio nal mentors office, unloading on him about all of the challenges I was facing at my job. I was visibly exhausted and haggard looking, and he finally stopped me and said something Ill never forget. He said, You put everyone elses needs above your own. At what point will what you need be as important or more important than what everyone else needs? I had literally never thought about my own needs in a job. I had actually accepted jobs without knowing the salary because I was so excited about the mission and vision, much to my mothers chagrin. Being a social worker was a profession with an inherent savior complex. No matter how aware of it I was, I could not escape prioritizing the population served, level of need, and potential impact over salary, benefits, and location. For the very first time in my life, on the cusp of turning 30, I was being asked to figure out what I wanted from my working life. And I didnt have a clue.2. You have to know what your values are and how they show up for you.Since I had no idea what I needed, I had some homework to do. I went home, got out my laptop, and just started writing. I listed out all of my must haves and nice to haves in excruciating detail. I completed an exercise designed to unearth my own values and see which ones were in conflict. I realized that my personal values were in one category, yet I was working for an organization and under people whose personal values were in direct conflict with mine. By trying to serve theirs, I was neglecting my own, which led to internal turmoil for me daily. My mentor closed out our meeting with the following food for thought. He said, You say youre afraid of abandoning the mission. But if you stay in this job, you will burn out from the helping profession completely. Forget their mission. What is yours? Again, I had no idea. I didnt even know what he meant. I had always aligned my mission with my organizations, thinking that my job was to throw myself 100% into realizing their visio n. I never thought I could have my own vision.3. You need a personal mission statement.Before I did anything with my newfound revelations, I had to sit down and figure out why I work. It was no longer enough to say because I have to pay rent or even because I like helping people. I needed a personal mission statement to serve as my guiding light when I started to falter again, found my enthusiasm waning, or God forbid, got fired. I needed to know what I want to do, why I want to do it, and how I want to do it. Then, and ONLY then, could I go off in search of a profession that would fulfill my needs. For me, that turned out not to be another organization, but to wake up in the middle of the night and write an insanely long Jerry Maguire style manifesto. I had never felt more energized, and the words spilled out of me. Thats how I knew I was on the right path. I was scared, and had never done anything like start a business before, but everything about it felt right in my gut. I have n ever looked back.Too often we approach our career search like unqualified grifters, hoping to trick an employer or a client into giving us money in exchange for work. Forget that. That is a mindset that has been fed to you by employers because it serves them best. You have education, experience (no matter how young you are), and energy. An employer or a client who wants you knows that you bring skills, motivation, and ability to learn that they need. They have the money, benefits, and structure within which you can realize your vision. An interview is like dating - when youre inexperienced, you think I hope they like me. When you become more experienced, you realize its about hoping you are both mutually a good fit for each other. You owe it to yourself to realize sooner rather than later that assessing that fit up front will save you a lifetime of heartbreak.Now that you know your own true north, you can set out to find that organizational fit Instead of focusing on tangibles (hour s, location, benefits), start with their mission. Take an example like Nordstrom. Their mission is rooted in their commitment to happy customers. There is a legend (that is true, according to friends who work in their instructional design department) that a man came in one day in the 1950s to return 4 Goodyear tires. The employee in customer service cheerfully accepted the return and refunded him the money. After he left, a colleague turned to this person and said, But we dont sell tires. The employee replied, I know. Because Nordstrom knows that its commitment to happy customers trumps everything else, the company accepted a return from a customer, no questions asked. This customer likely went back to Nordstrom over the years, remembering how he was treated. He probably told his friends, and they probably shopped there, too. A good mission statement guides everything you do, whether you are one person or a multi-billion dollar corporation.--Jenny is the founder of Forward in Heels Executive Coaching, which empowers badass women who want to excel at what they do, stand tall, and own their worth so they can light up the world. As a licensed psychotherapist as well as certified executive leadership coach, Jenny has been helping women make bold, lasting changes in their lives for over a decade.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

Making Yourself Indispensable in the Workplace

Making Yourself Indispensable in the Workplace Warning this article contains a lot of ways to suck up to management. These kind of tips wont help your chances of curing cancer, but they might help you get a little extra boost in your career. There are a host of reasons you may have for wanting to impress your anfhrer (a promotion or raise, a glowing reference, work perks), but the question of the day is whether or leid putting in extra hours, bringing work home, and taking on more responsibilities is worth the value of making your boss think that you are a shining star among mere light bulbs. While effort is obviously required in order to be a stand-out employee, there are a number of ways to become an indispensable workplace presence without spreading yourself too thin.1. More likely than not your boss is big on punctuality and consistently arrives at work on time. You can easily show your dedica tion to your job by always arriving at work and being prepared to begin your day by your official start time. Make a notenzeichen of when your boss typically arrives at work and shoot for showing up about five minutes ahead of his or her regular time. And no matter how sleep-deprived and grumpy you may feel, slap a smile on your face and politely greet your boss every morning.2. Though your workload may already be jam-packed you should seriously considering being among the first to volunteer for select, high-visibility projects that can help shape your bosses perception of your into one where you are seen as an eager person willing to branch out and take on responsibilities beyond your required duties. This also gives you some amount of control over any additional work you must complete by not simply taking what you boss assigns but speaking up and taking the tasks you want.3. Everyone arbeitszimmer has a go-to guy that person who everyone turns to when toner is low, software stalls , papers get jammed, or incomprehensible error messages appear on fax machines. Even if it has nothing to do wither your regular job, make a small effort to learn the tech side of how the office andrangs. You know learn where paper, ink, and toner are kept and how to properly install them into your office printer. Know how to use that million dollar software system that no one else does. And when you encounter an inevitable tech problem, take the time to learn the solution instead of simply ignoring the situation until a techie solves the problem. Tech know-how can be seen as life-saving especially to a boss who has a printer gremlin show up before a big meeting.4. This act will make you popular throughout your office, not just with your boss. Make the office coffee and, every once in a while, remark to your boss that youre making it and ask if he or she would like a cup. Dont become the person who run errands, but showing up with donuts once in a while never hurt anyones career. B e the person who brings life to the office and is fun and positive to be around. Unexpected small actions are fun and keep work life interesting.5. Listen to your bosss word choices when discussing business concerns and note any buzzwords that are used frequently. Assimilate them into your own vocabulary and use them in meetings and emails. This smart use of language helps to show your boss that you genuinely understand what he or she is after.Working hard and performing well will always be the best method for success, but in order to reinforce positive perceptions and get the attention your deserve, these career tips offer a way to insert yourself into your bosss routine without being overbearing or annoying.