Reflective Journal-Week 2

This week as I was able to complete the assignment for this leadership I have started to look at leadership differently than I probably did 2 weeks ago.  I look at it from multiple angles instead of just thinking about it as the "people in charge".  With this being said...some of the people in these positions I do view as leaders, and others I don't.  I think I have based this decision upon their actions and how they carry themselves on a daily basis.  I also think of how they treat others, and how they are treated in return.

In the profession of nursing many leaders can be found.  Those who apply for and obtain positions of leadership, and those who work to earn the respect of those around them.  As I look at the charge nurses in the unit I work in I can identify which charge nurses fall into which category.  I was able to speak with the lead charge nurse for night shift about what her expectations were upon receiving the job of charge nurse, and further the title of lead charge nurse and if these expectations were met.  She laughed and her first response was...."I had no idea what I was getting myself into!".  I found this comment comical, and asked her if it was better or worse than she expected.  Her response was that in some ways it was better and in others it was way worse, but she did not regret her decision in taking these positions.  She told me that her favorite parts of the job included: getting to know everyone better, building a stronger rapport with the doctors, learning new procedures, strengthening her clinical skills, having time to help others, and having a better understanding of how the unit works.  The parts that she doesn't like as much included: dealing with difficult families, dealing with difficult staff, trying to staff the unit during busy times, cancelling staff during slow times, and being expected to know everything.  The conversation was enlightening to me, and I was able to communicate to her that I look to her as a true leader on night shift.

Having strong leaders can make such a difference throughout the shift.  Someone you trust, someone you know has good judgement, someone who tries to find the best solution to the problem, and someone who truly wants the team to succeed.  These are the people I love working with!