By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
When executive nurse leaders ask me about key priorities for 2022, the upskilling of frontline nurse leaders is high on my list. During the past two years, we have seen a demographic shift in our nursing workforce and our leaders. Many nurse leaders retired as an outcome of their experiences with COVID, and even more, may retire in 2022. Today’s frontline leadership roles are demanding, especially in acute care environments. Gone are the days when nurse managers could depend on an experienced core group of charge nurses or assistant managers.
Today’s nurse leader role is more like an NCAA Basketball Coach who may see 50-100% of their roster rotate each year into the NBA. Future nursing teams will be more like airline crews who come together for short periods of time to achieve set goals. There is a movement from teams to teaming (a term written about by Amy Edmonson). The following are some key differences between the two:
Teams
- A stable group of nurses who work together for long periods of time.
- Members learn how to interact with each other and utilize each other’s skills.
- Seasoned members coach/mentor new nurses.
- Trust and communication are present through years of working together.
Teaming
- A dynamic group of nurses which shifts and changes over time.
- Teamwork needs to be learned in real-time.
- Team members may all have little experience so new nurses will coach/mentor new nurses.
- Trust/communication and knowledge sharing need to be quickly built with shifting teams.
In a “teaming” environment, the nurse leader provides critical ballast for the team. Learning how to effectively be a nurse leader coach who communicates and provides real-time feedback is essential. Building a psychologically safe environment for nurses is crucial. The nurse leader is a teacher in addition to being a leader. Nurse leaders have to hardwire quality and safety into all that the team does.
Nursing leadership is both an art and a science. A body of evidence-based knowledge supports good leadership practice, yet most nurses are not exposed to this in their education. We don’t know what we don’t know until we do. It is unfair to allow young nurse leaders to struggle to learn by trial and error. Being a good clinician with strong critical thinking skills does not necessarily translate into excellent leadership practices. For most organizations right now – the strongest ROI for a better future will be to upskill their frontline nurse leaders so they have the tools and strategies to do their challenging work.
© emergingrnleader.com 2022
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