It is difficult to overestimate the role of communication skills for nurses because they meet a great variety of people every day. In addition, everyone has to develop leadership skills if they want to make a real difference. I think the course advanced my knowledge of the leadership concept, and the implementation of theory helped me improve patient care delivery.
As a nurse, I work in a team, and therefore it is hard to underestimate the role of effective communication. I analyzed the reasons why work in a group is sometimes so stressful to me and understood my direction for growth. One of the reasons for failure in communication lies in the inability to encourage an exchange of information (Weiss et al., 2019). The probable decision is to learn to ask the right questions and concise questions. Additionally, researchers point out the value of prioritizing (Weiss et al., 2019).
Revising my views on setting priorities, I realized I used to do it unconsciously. However, now I carefully evaluate what I should do, estimate the time, and explore delegation possibilities. These changes not only allowed me to increase my effectiveness but to concentrate more on patients’ problems.
While working with patients, it is crucial to establish contact and motivate them to strive for healing. The possible direction for growth that I see is the development of emotional intelligence. An emotionally intelligent leader is a good listener, i.e., emotional intelligence allows leaders to sense the unspoken, feel the perspectives, and recognize the motivation of others (Weiss et al., 2019). Sometimes I meet patients who are eager to impress me with the nature of their illness. Others are closed and silent, so I need more observations to realize their needs. Hence, I practice my skills as an active listener to consider their individual character traits, dispel fears and gain the patients’ trust to ensure that my patients will confidently go to any diagnostic procedure.
Due to the course, my leadership attitude changed greatly since I started to apply new knowledge to my practice. I recognized the perspectives for my self-improvement, such as emotional intelligence and prioritizing, and now I have some positive results. Moreover, I believe that further exploration of the topic could make me a more confident and stress-resistant person.
Reference
Weiss, S. A., Tappen, R. M., & Grimley, K. (2019). Essentials of nursing leadership & management (7th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.