Nursing leadership strategies in interdisciplinary team collaboration

¶ … Exert Leadership Without Any Formal Position

Discuss TWO strategies enable a nurse interdisciplinary team exert leadership occupying a formal leadership position. 1. Form a clearer picture real situation - gathering data, ot listening opinion. 2. Start strong idea solve problem.

A leader is a person who directs others towards a goal. He or she is meant to influence fellow workers positively, and helps them work towards achieving a common purpose Kathleen Jennison and Stoltz, 2004.

Leadership is not a position but an attitude. A leader takes responsibility of problems that arise within the organization and does not blame others for the problems that arise. A good leader is able to communicate with the subordinates and should not feel that he or she is superior to them. This will enable him to be able to gather information on what the workers want to boost their morale of working.

An interdisciplinary team is a group of professionals who provide health care to patients. They provide primary care to patients using a team approach. The teams may consist of a nurse, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionists, and others. These people work together in harmony towards achievement of a common interest. Members of the interdisciplinary team have ethical obligations towards their patients. They are supposed to perform their duties with care towards the patients. Team members are also supposed to treat each other with respect and in a professional manner.

Strategies used to exert leadership

According to a study done in Clifton-fine hospital, the head nurse on the interdisciplinary team said that one of the strategies used to exert leadership is to allow free communication among the members of staff Avolio and Gardner, 2005.

All practitioners should raise their opinions and thoughts on what they think about the health of a patient. Proper communication allows people to feel that their opinions are respected. Respecting other people's opinions prevents disagreements and this allows all workers to work together harmoniously towards a common goal. This helps to better health care on the patients so that they are able to receive better health services from hospitals.

The nurses also encourage others to work responsibly. This allows all health practitioners to take responsibility of their actions and not in any way to blame others for their mistakes. This will build trust among the workers and they will be able to share important information about a patient and to be able to help each other to improve on the health of the patients Avolio and Gardner, 2005()

Within each team, conflicts always arise. As a leader, a person should be able to come up with conflict resolution strategies. These strategies may alter a project in a positive or negative way. If members of a team cannot come to a consensus, other professionals need to be consulted who are not members of the team that takes care of the patient. Their views and opinions may help solve the disagreements. Another way of preventing conflict is by always reviewing decisions and goals of the team by encouraging the members of the work team to work together towards a common purpose and put their differences aside. Conflict can also be resolved by changing roles and assignments of workers so that one does not feel overburdened by a certain task Davidson and Wood, 2004.