NRS 440VN Topic 5 DQ 2: Nursing Advocacy,
The influence of leadership can be far-reaching in practice and improving patient outcomes even when not in a formal role., Describe advocacy strategies that you can use as a leader to create positive change in your current workplace., In response to peers describe a time when you provided leadership and the outcome. Was there anything that you would do differently?,
As a leader in the nursing profession, there are several advocacy strategies that can be used to create positive change in the workplace:
- Collaboration and Partnership: Building strong partnerships with other healthcare stakeholders, such as physicians, administrators, and patient advocacy groups, can help to increase the impact of advocacy efforts and promote positive change.
- Evidence-based Practice: Utilizing the latest research and evidence-based practices can help to demonstrate the need for change and support advocacy efforts.
- Communication: Effective communication with healthcare stakeholders and patients can help to raise awareness and promote understanding of important issues and the need for change.
- Engagement: Encouraging the involvement and engagement of patients, families, and communities in advocacy efforts can help to build support and increase the impact of change initiatives.
- Networking: Building and maintaining professional networks, both within and outside of the healthcare community, can help to increase the visibility and influence of advocacy efforts.
A real-life example of my leadership experience was when I was working as a charge nurse in a hospital. One of my responsibilities was to ensure that the nursing staff was providing high-quality patient care and that patient outcomes were being optimized. I noticed that there was a lack of standardization in the process for documenting vital signs, which was leading to inconsistencies in patient care and increased risk of errors.
I took the initiative to gather data and research best practices for documenting vital signs, and I organized a team meeting to present my findings. I encouraged the nursing staff to provide input and suggestions for improving the process, and together we developed a standardized approach to documenting vital signs. This new approach was implemented and it improved patient outcomes by reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that all vital signs were consistently and accurately recorded.
Looking back, I would do one thing differently, which would be to involve the nursing leadership and administration in the process from the beginning. This would have helped to gain their support and increase the impact of the initiative. However, overall, I believe that my leadership in this situation helped to promote positive change and improve patient outcomes in my workplace.