Leader

The aim of this essay is to illustrate critical analysis of a personal...

Tourangeau (2003) provides a definition and expressed that an exemplary leader challenges processes, inspires shared vision, enables and motivate others to act, modelling the way and encouraging the heart (p.625). In other words one of the crucial roles of leadership is to encourage and inspire others in ways that keep them committed to the direction and values of an organisation. Ferguson-Pare et al, (2002, p.6) affirms nursing leadership exists at all levels and that while nurses in direct roles have content expertise, nurses in leadership and management roles have context expertise; attending to the environment and resources required for the provision of direct care. Undoubtedly nurses set examples in every aspect of their work; this is demonstrated in how they think, organise, make decisions, execute tasks and communicate; thus one can assume they are in themselves leaders through the examples they set. Dickenson-Hazard (2004, p. 146) reflects this view, expressing that nurses have many followers i.e. patients, families, communities, students and colleagues; thus, as leaders the challenge is to know what these followers need and want and then assist them in the desired direction.

Current professional practice

My current role involves nursing older patients on an elderly ward; the ward provides care for a maximum of 29 patients at any given time. Patients are usually admitted thought accident and emergency before undergoing assessment and transferred to the appropriate ward. Due to the triage nature of working environment; responsibility is vast as a result of the large volume of admissions at any one given time; thus, patient care will typically involve initial assessments, needs monitoring, medication administration, rehabilitation and discharge. Appropriate client-centred care planning is crucial at this stage; evidently due to the vulnerable nature of geriatric patients, as...