Being a nurse manager is a very complex job. It involves organizing people with varying personalities, skills, and education to give high-quality and safe patient care (Yoder-Wise, 2011). A nurse manager is responsible for financial management, patient outcomes, and resource utilization. Therefore, a good and efficient nurse manager should provide the necessary leadership that will ensure that the care given at the hospitals is in accordance with the organization’s policy (Whitehead, Weise & Tappen, 2010). This paper will examine the qualities of Nicole Harrison, a Nurse Manager in the Intensive Care Unit of MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Nicole Harrison has been an employee of Texas University Hospital since 2005 (FindTheBest, 2012). Currently, she enjoys an annual salary of $151200. She had been in the nursing profession for quite some time and has enjoyed working in four other hospitals before finally landing at this hospital in 2005. Nicole was employed by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center agency as a nurse but eventually rose up the ranks to the current position. She has been working as a nurse for 20 years acting in various capacities in different hospitals. She believes that her current work is the best and hopes to spend the remaining professional years at this place.
Nicole is a level four nurse, with all the certifications needed. She currently holds a master’s degree in nursing. Nicole is pursuing a Ph. D in nursing at the hospital’s university (FindTheBest, 2012). She is therefore an expert nurse with a lot of experience. She is also a fully registered nurse and a licensed Vocational Nurse approved to operate anywhere in the United States. All these educational qualifications coupled with her work experience have helped her attain the current position as a Nurse Manager (Whitehead et al, 2010).
The Intensive Care Unit MD Anderson Cancer Center’s roles include the provision of anesthesia care, life support, and pain management for patients that require intensive care at this hospital (The University of Texas, 2013). The care provided to the patients at this level is very detailed. A team of care experts and nurses work together to ensure the needed care is effectively administered to patients. As a nurse manager in the intensive care unit of the hospital, Nicole plays a major role in ensuring that all operations in the unit run effectively (The University of Texas Medical School, 2006). The numbers of nurses that work under her supervision are 200. The hospital has 52 intensive care unit beds where the nurses operate in shifts to ensure 24 hours daycare is offered to the patients (The University of Texas Medical School, 2006). This means that the amount of responsibility dedicated to her by the hospital is a lot (The University of Texas, 2013). Therefore, she ensures the unit’s performance is kept at par with other units with the aim of achieving the hospital’s mission.
She believes in several leadership philosophies that have helped her perform her duties effectively. She says that for an individual to be a leader, the person must possess integrity, be empathetic, consistent and fair (Harwood, 2012). She accords her success as a nursing leader to the above principles and her ability to understand diverse perspectives in the field of health care. She also observes the ethics required in the nursing profession. She has involved herself in community service on many occasions. This presents her as a leader who has a sense of service (Harwood, 2012).
Nicole believes that nursing to her is not just a profession. It is a calling as she notes down. She recognizes Faye Glenn Abdellah born on March 13, 1919. She was a great theorist and an exemplary leader in the field of nursing (Nursing Theory, 2011).
Being a nurse is a challenging role in society. It is a noble profession. It offers an opportunity to meet people from different aspects of life (Denver Health, 2010). Through nursing, Nicole has been able to interact with so many people and understand the different aspects of humanity. Through nursing leadership, Nicole also developed personal responsibility, confidence that has helped her accomplish so many things in her life. Above all leadership in nursing also carries a package of negative aspects. The long hours needed at the workplace leaves an individual with limited personal and family time (Whitehead et al, 2010). These may result in stress due to lack of rest and a feeling of being overworked. The only thing that keeps Nicole going is the level of appreciation she gets from the hospital and the community at large. Nursing can only be fully realized when practiced as an art and at the same time as a science. The social aspect of nursing should not be neglected.
When a new nurse is to be assigned to the department, Nicole looks at various aspects apart from the educational qualifications. The history of the nurse to be hired is put into consideration. For instance, the individual should be a top performer with minimal patient death (Denver Health, 2010). The new nurse is also interviewed for patient satisfaction rates and the number of innovations the individual has initiated at workplace. A nurse in this department must possess very high standards of professionalism and be willing to spend most of their personal time with the patients.
Nicole believes in herself as a competent nursing leader. She is in the process of attaining the highest levels of education in the nursing field. Moreover, since she is in one of the best cancer medical centers in the world, she is not planning to look for a job elsewhere. She believes that she will be among the top leadership of the hospital with time due to her stunning performance as a nursing head.
From Nicole’s interview, it can be observed that she is an exemplary nursing leader that any fresh nursing graduate should emulate. A good leadership style involves a well-balanced approach to individual values and the requirements the organization one is working for needs (Denver Health, 2010). A good leader must be visionary, this will enable professional attainment of the organization’s goals. Passion is also an important aspect of good leadership. A nurse leader should show her passion for the nursing job. This will ensure that other nurses are inspired to follow the leader’s direction and hence enhance the hospital’s efficiency (Denver Health, 2010). Another important aspect of good leadership is integrity. One should be honest and use his/her knowledge in such a way that maturity is demonstrated. A leader nurse should always stick to the code of ethics; this ensures that moral leadership is realized. If a leader puts in mind all this then the leadership style will be the best; leadership by example (Denver Health, 2010).
Prof. Phillip Backer, a nursing theorist who visualized nursing from a fluids point of view, can illustrate the kind of leadership that is necessary for nursing (Nursing Theory, 2011). He believes that life is a continuous journey on the sea and illness is fluid. This paradox is built on the patient as the most important goal in the nursing field. He came up with the guide of nursing in the form of the Ten Commandments. These rules if observed by any nursing leader then the outcome of the nursing practice will always be positive and satisfactory (Nursing Theory, 2011). The rules in this case simply describe what is required of a nurse while in practice.
I believe I will eventually make a great nurse. Currently, I am almost through with the educational requirements needed for a professional nurse. Five years from now, I expect to be a leader in any capacity as a nurse. The skills and passion I possess will enable me to attain that goal (Denver Health, 2010). I am planning to get into the job market as a nurse as soon as possible and start implementing the policies that I think are the best for patients. I believe this will help me build a professional code of conduct that is acceptable. I will use all the necessary talent and skills that I have at my disposal to enable me to attain that goal. Therefore, any individual who wishes to join the nursing fraternity should be prepared to handle the prevailing dynamics that accompany the day-to-day activities of a nurse.
References
Denver Health. (2010). Special Nursing Annual Report: 150 Years of Level One Care for All. Web.
FindTheBest. (2012) Nicole P Harrison – Dir, Clinical Nursing – Nursing Administration. Web.
Harwood, Russell. (2012). Leadership Philosophy. Web.
Nursing Theory. (2011). Nursing Theorists. Web.
The University of Texas. (2013). MD Anderson Center. Web.
The University of Texas Medical School. (2006). Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. Web.
Whitehead, D. Weise, S. & Tappen, R. (2010). Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management (5th Edition). Philadelphia: FA Davis, Inc.
Yoder-Wise, P. (2011). Leading and Managing in Nursing (5th Edition). St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.