Nurse administrators and executives are change agents in healthcare organizations in how they coach and mentor employees and implement organizational or team-wide systems.
Due to issues of recent years, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, nurse administrators have found it challenging to maintain the same organizational standards from the past. However, with the help of outstanding leaders in the industry, the healthcare environment has supported some of the most important aspects of the workforce.
The Workforce Institute at UKG states, “nurse leaders everywhere found themselves with a deep desire and professional commitment to deliver high-quality care to every patient in the face of limited resources created a constant state of distress.”
Leadership in nursing makes or breaks a facility. Healthcare providers are dependent on the security of retaining nurses in order to successfully treat their patients. Without a nurse administrator who takes control of procedures, the nursing population cannot be maintained.
Impact of Leadership on Nursing
According to HealthLeaders Media, there are three ways in which nurse leaders can influence change in healthcare organizations:
- Being proactive leaders. This means leaders actively seek out the best method to reach a specific goal or patient need while working at the facility. Proactive leaders tend to make changes that are implemented immediately instead of waiting until the right moment for them to occur.
- Being C-suite advocates. The most effective nurse administrators can coordinate with others promptly and advocate for changes within the organization. They are not afraid to speak up about an issue and are willing to do whatever it takes to make systematic, alternative changes.
- Empowering other nurses. As top leaders in the healthcare industry, administrators have the opportunity to make connections with their employees and empower them to do their best work. Many methods can empower nurses, and administrators actively seek out the optimal route toward gaining the trust of their staff.
In healthcare, “bold nurse leaders are the key to moving the nursing profession forward and influencing change through innovation,” explains HealthLeaders Media.
Leadership and Strategic Goals of Nursing
Nurse leaders can drive change and affect strategic goals by forming relationships with the nurses and staff they work with daily. When they understand their staff’s concerns, they are better able to reinforce adjustments accordingly and create an environment that works towards a better tomorrow.
According to Symplr, “strategic goals are the specific financial and non-financial objectives and results — such as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) quality scores — a healthcare organization aims to achieve over a specific period of time, usually the next three to five years.”
With the education and experience nurse administrators possess, they can progress the company and advocate for the goals of the C-suite as well as their fellow nurses. Prior knowledge in evidence-based practice is one of the essential components in the execution of specific healthcare-related goals.
Grow Your Leadership Skills With a Master’s Degree
One way to grow your skills as a nurse leader is to further your career by earning your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Those who enroll in the MSN Nursing Administration online program at The University of Texas at Arlington will be prepared to take on leadership roles and build upon their advanced nursing skills.
Students will incorporate contemporary management theory and core competencies, enabling graduates to function in a variety of healthcare settings. With the accelerated nature of the program, they can achieve this in as few as 19 to 22 months.
This intensive program allows students to develop advanced knowledge and abilities for leadership and management roles in the constantly changing healthcare environment. For example, the Roles and Functions of the Nurse Administrator course covers the basics of clinical application in the healthcare setting involving administrative and managerial roles. In the Nursing Management in the Healthcare Environment course, students explore the theories of leadership and organizational behavior within the healthcare field.
Each future nurse administrator will obtain the knowledge and skills required to enter into influential roles in various environments such as acute care, rehabilitation, case management, governmental agencies, public health departments and much more.
Learn more about The University of Texas at Arlington’s online MSN Nursing Administration program.
