Communication and Strategic Planning for Nurse Executives

Achievement of the AONL Nurse Executives Competencies

Introduction

The American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) provides competencies for nurse executives to achieve so they can have the skills and the knowledge to succeed in healthcare. This paper discusses personal experiences and achievements related to these competencies, with a focus on communication, knowledge, professionalism, and business skills. Examples are given to show how these competencies have been met in practice.

Achievement of the AONL Nurse Executive Competency Communication

Effective Oral and Verbal Communication

Communication is needed in nursing to convey right and accurate information in support of continuity of care and quality care delivery (Ostman et al., 2021). One example of achievement in effective oral and verbal communication occurred for me during a team meeting where patient care plans were being discussed about the patient’s unique needs. I articulated verbally the need for patient-centered care and urged all team members to work on developing an approach that would benefit this patient. The team agreed and started developing a better care plan that was just for this patient. The impact of communication was clear in terms of improved quality of care and improved collaboration.

Relationship Management Achievement

In relationship management, positive relationships between nurses are managed to develop solid bonds of professionalism and respect among nurses (Antonytheva et al., 2021). One achievement I had was a mentorship program for new nurses. This was an initiative that I helped to promote and it involved pairing experienced nurses who could mentor with new nurses who could benefit from some of the older nurses’ experience and insight. The program was a huge success and everyone loved it, both mentors and mentees. It improved retention rates and it supported the creation of a culture of continuous learning and support within the organization. Everyone learned the value of strong professional relationships and creating an environment conducive to growth and development.

Influencing Behaviors

Another important competency for nurse executives is the ability to influence behavior positively (Demirhan, 2020). I was part of a hospital-wide plan to implement new evidence-based practice guidelines. I led a team presentation of data and real-world examples of improved patient outcomes associated with the new evidence, and I was able to influence important decision-making stakeholders, which led to our obtaining funding for the project. This experience showed the power of persuasive communication in influencing behavior to make a positive and necessary change.

AONL Nurse Executive Competency Knowledge of the Healthcare Environment

Clinical Practice Knowledge

Clinical practice knowledge is what allows nurse executives to make the right informed decisions regarding patient care (Oldland et al., 2020). In this competency area, I took part in creating a pain management protocol for postoperative patients. We relied on the latest research findings and clinical expertise available, and our team was able to cite peer-reviewed published data to create a protocol that helped to reduce patient discomfort and that improved recovery times. Our work showed the importance of being current with clinical knowledge and being able to apply that information to improve patient care practices.

Delivery Models/Work Design Achievement

Another competency needed to improve the healthcare environment is the ability to understand and improve delivery models and work design because of the positive effect this has on health care efficiency and satisfaction (Poon et al., 2020). One achievement I had in this area was the redesign of the patient flow process in the emergency department. We looked at workflow bottlenecks and made changes to streamline triage procedures. The department benefitted immediately and saw a reduction in patient wait times. Patient satisfaction rates also improved. Nurse job satisfaction also increased. Our redesign showed the impact of what an effective work design on operations can do for patient experiences overall and for nurses satisfaction, too.

Performance Improvement/Metrics Achievement

Performance improvement and the use of metrics are needed for being able to have continuous quality improvement in nursing (Hill et al., 2020). A significant achievement in this area was a performance dashboard for nursing units that we came up with. This was a measurement tool we used with performance indicators such as patient satisfaction scores, infection rates, staff engagement levels, nurse satisfaction, and other indicators. The tool helped us to be able to see areas that needed improvement and once we saw those we could then target them with appropriate interventions.

AONL Nurse Executive Competency Professionalism

Personal and Professional Accountability

Personal and professional accountability are needed if high standards in nursing leadership are to be met (Baker et al., 2021). An example of achievement in this area was my ongoing education. I earned new credentials and participated in leadership development programs, for the sake of both personal and professional growth. In fact, I have always been committed to continuous improvement because I believe it serves as a model for other nurses and helps to reinforce the importance of lifelong learning in healthcare.

Career Planning Achievement

Career planning is another important competency for the development of nursing leaders because it sets the professional health care provider up for being able to meet personal and professional goals (Aggari et al., 2020). As an example of an achievement in this area, I helped to start a career development plan for each nurse within my team. This was a great way to help them see where they could get over the course of their career with a little thoughtful planning. We conducted regular career coaching sessions and made sure all nurses had opportunities for professional advancement. I helped team members take steps to achieve their career goals over time while we also tried to match professional growth with our own organizational needs so that it was win-win for our nurses and our organization. We helped to boost nurse job satisfaction and create a deeper roster of more skilled and motivated workforce.

Ethics Related Achievement

Ethics must also be a big part of nursing leadership because of how important it is to be able to make decisions from a moral standpoint that nurses can appreciate (McKenna & Jeske, 2021). An example of an ethics-related achievement was my role in the hospital ethics committee. We focused on addressing ethical issues in the workplace and we helped give ethical guidelines that could help nurses with making better patient care decisions and showing moral support. We brought ethical discussions to the fore to help ground practice in a real sense of moral responsibility, and our committee helped to show our organization's commitment to the ethics of patient-centered care.

AONL Nurse Executive Competency Business Skills

Financial Management Achievement

Effective financial management is also part of successful healthcare operations because it gives the organization a chance to continue operations, reimburse stakeholders, pay for staff, and be in a position to give back to the community in a positive way (Cleverley et al., 2023). An achievement in this area was leading a cost-reduction plan that identified and eliminated unnecessary expenses. The benefit was savings on the bottom line and the fact that these cuts did not affect patient care quality at all. It was simply a matter of seeing where costs were running high unnecessarily so. We looked at financial data and talked with staff about identifying cost-saving opportunities, and thus we achieved significant savings that were redirected towards patient care improvements. In this way we helped to realize the value of having financial understanding in healthcare leadership.

Human Resource Management

Human resource management is another big competency for nurse executives because it links the leader with the workers in a healthy way (Gunawan et al., 2022). We started a wellness program for staff as an example of HR management. The decision to do this was based on an HR survey of stress and burnout among nursing staff, and we saw that there were high levels of both. Thus, we worked with HR in finding ways to help nurses manage stress via workshops, mental health and mindfulness resources, flexible scheduling options, and self-care opportunities that allowed nurses breaks during shifts to breathe and recharge in spurts. These changes helped with improving staff morale. We saw turnover rates decrease; job satisfaction increased, and HR management was satisfied with a job well done.

Strategic Management Achievement

Strategic management involves making long-term goals that line up with the organization’s needs and aims (Henry, 2021). An achievement in this area was taking part in the development of a five-year strategic plan for the nursing department. We did a SWOT analysis and met with all stakeholders in the department. We defined the priorities of the department and developed actionable items with milestones for achieving them. The strategic planning process was a good experience of how to focus on the organization’s mission and vision and make sure that wsa being reflected at the departmental level.

Management and Technology Achievement

Management and technology go hand in glove with today’s healthcare, whether we are talking about electronic health record (EHR) systems or new telehealth services (Litwin, 2021). We implemented new telehealth services for exactly this reason, and our staff received training and support to use the technology with patients who wanted to have appointments over the Internet, and it helped with creating a more positive healthcare experience for both patients and nurses.