NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX 5007 Leadership for Nursing Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Managing Toxic Leadership: An APA-Formatted Rewrite

Importance of Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is crucial for the success of any organization. Competent leaders possess the skills necessary to empower their teams, boost productivity, and accomplish organizational goals. They are responsible for formulating and executing long-term plans, collaborating with colleagues, identifying challenges, setting targets, and establishing deadlines to ensure desired outcomes. Successful organizations flourish when employees cooperate and work towards shared objectives. In a healthcare context, such as a hospital, leadership significantly influences workplace culture. Effective management requires collaboration with the team and maintaining open communication during both successes and failures (Monroe, 2019). It is essential for leadership to create a supportive environment that enables healthcare workers to meet benchmarks and elevate nursing practice and care delivery standards.

The primary goal is to enhance working conditions and cultivate a productive, collaborative work culture among nursing staff. Stress is a significant concern for nursing professionals who often endure extended, unscheduled shifts with insufficient support and minimal breaks. Without adequate administrative support, nurses may struggle to address these challenges. While nurses advocate for healthier lifestyles and well-being, they frequently neglect their own health while on duty. Research indicates that healthcare facilities that promote healthier lifestyles, productive work environments, and collaborative workspaces experience higher employee satisfaction, increased engagement, and improved patient care (Miles & Scott, 2019).

Case Study: Head Nurse Performance Evaluation

The psychiatry unit initially implemented a primary healthcare nursing model to optimize patient experience and care quality. Achieving these goals necessitated collaboration and the formation of interdisciplinary professional teams. The healthcare facility, healthcare workers, and patients would benefit from the head nurse’s support in promoting collaboration and coordination among administration, supervisors, and executives. Unfortunately, the nurse manager’s leadership style in this case study is at odds with the facility’s established guidelines. Jackie, the Nurse Manager, leads patient care conferences but seldom attends the thrice-weekly sessions designed to address complex cases and foster cooperation for effective patient-centered care.

In addition to her frequent absences, Jackie’s unprofessional behavior includes failing to communicate schedule changes to her team. This conduct undermines the quality of nursing practices and disregards the team’s efforts, negatively affecting their morale and productivity. Jackie’s habitual lateness further impedes care delivery, as staff must wait to consult with her, causing delays in patient care. Additionally, she does not respond to emails from nursing professionals, and her attire at work lacks professionalism, often including revealing clothing, large hoop earrings, and high heels. Moreover, her inappropriate interactions with a staff member named Martin violate the American Nurses Association (ANA) regulations and standards of professional conduct, which encompass evaluation, diagnosis, goal setting, strategy development, and care coordination (Monroe, 2019).

NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

Jackie’s behavior appears to contravene two specific elements of the ANA’s code of ethics: professional responsibilities and relationships with co-workers, as well as patient responsibility. According to the ANA, healthcare professionals must establish boundaries and maintain professional interactions with colleagues, superiors, and patients. They should foster supportive and caring relationships with all colleagues, treating them fairly and respectfully. This entails making compromises that uphold dignity and addressing conflicts constructively.

Jackie’s actions in this context demonstrate a lack of leadership, professional conduct, commitment to her medical team, and empathy towards her staff (Monroe, 2019). The ANA defines professional boundaries as the acceptable, ethical, and social limits that practitioners recognize and respect, which can be particularly challenging due to the interpersonal nature of caregiving. Healthcare professionals must ensure that these limits are established and maintained (Aghamohammadi et al., 2021).

When these values are compromised, healthcare practitioners must seek support from superiors or take necessary measures to prevent similar situations (Olson, 2021). This principle applies to inter-professional and interdisciplinary relationships, extending beyond nursing practice and encompassing nurse-patient interactions (Warshawsky & Cramer, 2019). To address Jackie’s ethical breaches and enhance her performance as a nurse manager, a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) must be developed, outlining specific initiatives and timelines. This plan aims to help Jackie exhibit professionalism and commitment (Monroe, 2019).

Organizational Mission, Vision, and Goals

Jackie’s behavior is at odds with the healthcare facility’s mission, goals, and objectives. The organization’s primary goal is to deliver exceptional patient care in a compassionate environment, significantly improving the well-being of the communities it serves. Healthcare providers work collaboratively to create a healthcare continuum that enhances societal health and well-being. However, Jackie’s irresponsible actions and inability to collaborate with her team negatively impact patients and contradict the institution’s mission (Huang et al., 2021). The healthcare facility’s vision focuses on better healthcare performance, improved care delivery, enhanced patient experiences, and increased employee satisfaction.

Jackie’s actions and unprofessional demeanor do not align with the core values and objectives articulated by the organization. Her behavior fails to ensure optimal patient care or experiences and detracts from the quality of healthcare services and treatment she provides. The organization’s ultimate aim is to prioritize patients and their values, but Jackie’s leadership does not support the goals of her team or the healthcare facility. According to the case study, she prioritizes personal matters over attending healthcare staff discussion sessions, obstructing progress toward creating a positive, collaborative, and productive workplace with dedicated professionals focused on patient care. Jackie’s actions jeopardize the high-quality care expected from the healthcare institution she represents, undermining its ability to achieve its mission, goals, and objectives (Huang et al., 2021).

Action Plan to Improve Leadership Performance

Effective nursing leadership inspires transformation by motivating colleagues and co-workers to pursue organizational and individual goals. Nursing leadership demands specific characteristics and abilities, and every nurse possesses the potential to be a leader in some capacity. Whether influencing patients to adhere to treatment plans, serving as role models for less experienced nurses, or managing a nursing team, developing leadership skills is essential for advancing in a nursing career and attaining both personal and organizational goals. Various strategies can bolster nursing leadership skills and enable nurses to become effective leaders within their organizations.

During the implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), the Assistant Head Nurse will assume the role of Acting Nurse Manager for the psychiatric unit. The Acting Nurse Manager will lead conferences and address all complaints from team members. Jackie is required to arrive at work within the designated time frame specified in her employment agreement, which ranges from 07:55 to 08:15 on the clock. Should she arrive late three times, one unpaid absence will be recorded, along with further organizational consequences.

NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

All staff communications must be addressed within 24 hours. Jackie is expected to respond promptly to all correspondence and emails from her team. Additionally, she should inform the team in advance of any postponed or canceled events or conferences to facilitate effective preparation and schedule adjustments. Jackie must adhere to the clothing and dress code guidelines outlined in the employee manual, dressing professionally and wearing appropriate formal attire at work. She should schedule her appointments and meetings after work hours or at times that do not interfere with her work schedule or performance. Jackie must follow workplace ethics as defined in the employee manual and avoid any unethical or improper interactions with other employees.

This action plan will be implemented over the next month, during which Jackie will work in alignment with the healthcare facility’s mission, objectives, and goals to ensure the highest quality care, improved outcomes, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Evidence-based collaboration techniques will be employed to promote teamwork and cooperation, cultivating highly effective healthcare workers who maximize knowledge, staff, and resources for optimal results (Miles & Scott, 2019). This approach will serve as a guiding principle for her work, with the Team STEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) framework supporting psychiatric unit performance and clinical outcomes (Cooke & Valentine, 2021).

At the conclusion of the PIP period, the Human Resources (HR) representative will arrange a meeting between Jackie and her supervising manager to review and assess her performance (Oberle, 2022). Jackie’s progress and outcomes will determine her ability to resume her role as a nurse manager. Her leadership will be closely monitored by her team, and the performance of the Acting Nurse Manager will also be evaluated to assess suitability for other leadership positions.

References

Aghamohammadi, F., Imani, B., & Koosha, M. M. (2021). Operating room nurses’ lived experiences of ethical codes: a phenomenological study in Iran. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(3), 332-338. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-121826/v1

Cooke, M., & Valentine, N. M. (2021). Improving teamwork and communication in schools of nursing: a quality improvement approach using TeamSTEPPS. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 36(3), 285-290. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncq.0000000000000513

Huang, N., Qiu, S., Yang, S., & Deng, R. (2021). Ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: mediation of trust and psychological well-being. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 655-664. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s311856

Miles, J. M., & Scott, E. S. (2019). A new leadership development model for nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 35(1), 5-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2018.09.009

Monroe, H. A. (2019). Nurses’ professional values: influences of experience and ethics education. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(9-10), 2009-2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14806

NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

Olson, L. (2021). Envisioning an ethical climate in nursing education programs. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1

), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol26no01man07

Warshawsky, N., & Cramer, E. (2019). Describing nurse manager role preparation and competency: findings from a national study. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(5), 249-255. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0000000000000746