Topic 3: Applying Servant Leadership in Practice

Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
In order to accomplish daily goals in the nursing industry, nurses are constantly under pressure. Working together toward a common objective makes a group stronger than the sum of its parts (Dill, 2014). A high-level team can be a challenge for nurse leaders because of communication breakdowns, especially if the team members keep changing over time. With defined goals and a feeling of purpose, a performance-driven team can be maintained by its leaders. The team’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and everyone is on the same page. In order for a team to be successful, there must be a sense of trust and mutual respect among its members. Leadership in a high-performance team must be shared and participatory in order to make the best decisions. A high-performance team has good working practices that allow all team members to be actively involved in the team’s work. The team appreciates the diversity of generation, culture, and thinking in order to form a strong team. The members are adaptable and flexible, which promotes good working relationships (Thomas, 2018). In order to motivate employees, both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be used. A person’s desire to engage in a particular activity is fueled by their own personal satisfaction, delight, or curiosity in the activity itself. If you’re interested in working with people, you might consider becoming a nurse.

Intrinsic motivation in nursing is associated with the desire to do good because nursing care is equated to kindness. Extrinsic motivation is the drive within an individual to do something in order to get something else, such as, awards, benefits, wages or the opportunity for promotion. Research shows that nurses who report intrinsic motivation have high levels of burnout compared to those who report both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Dill, 2014). Topic 3: Applying Servant Leadership in PracticeIt is therefore important for leaders to understand the types of motivation when it comes to team performance since the quality of services that nurses provide is often dependent on how motivated they are and their own interpretation of how they feel valued (Thomas, 2018). This understanding will provide the leader an opportunity to engage in and build relationships with individual nurses based on the type of motivation reported. This can be achieved by the display of personal interests and investments in the staff’s well-being, which may include rounding on the staff and genuine follow ups that show personal interest in the staff’s welfare (Thomas, 2018). Leaders can also use this knowledge to motivate those around them by ensuring their needs are met and aiding them achieve their full potential and self-actualization (Thomas, 2018). Understanding the differences and working with each individual nurse can help build strong healthy teams that are beneficial to the organization and patients in the long run.
References:

Dill, J. (2014). Nurses motivated by external rewards are more likely to survive on the job. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com

Thomas, J. S. (2018). Nursing Leadership and Management: Leading and Serving. Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from: https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/grand-canyon-university/2018/nursing-leadership-and-management_leading-and-serving_1e.php

Re: Topic 3 DQ 2

To thrive in an expanding health care system, effective teams must be formed throughout the health care system. A performance-driven team in healthcare is the result of nurse leaders who engage their staff, provide opportunities for personal communication, demonstrate genuine investment in their staff’s well-being, and intrinsically motivate individuals to perform at their highest level.

Motivation is a need or drive that propels a person toward achieving a goal. It can be both intrinsic and extrinsic (Verywell Mind, 2019). Intrinsic motivation drives people to engage in a specific behavior because it is personally rewarding and is driven by internal rewards. The act of engaging in the behavior is its own reward. For example, by implementing a lifestyle change such as regular exercise, an individual will begin to feel better as a result of the exercise, which will keep him or her motivated to continue exercising. Extrinsic motivation entails engaging in a behavior or activity in order to earn a reward or avoid punishment. Using the same exercise example, a person may train for a marathon in order to receive a medal for participation. If this is the only motivator, the individual may find it difficult to maintain an exercise regimen after the marathon.

Nursing offers numerous extrinsic rewards, such as a salary, health care benefits, and social status. Under , long-term organizational change in healthcare is possible. Servant nurse leaders can collaborate with motivated interprofessional teams to achieve the best possible patient outcomes. Many factors influence a nurse’s motivation in the workplace. Baljoon et al. (2018) discovered that a nurse’s work motivation is frequently influenced by a variety of personal and organizational factors that are critical in influencing the level of nurses’ work motivation. By understanding these factors and channeling a nurses’ work effort to achieve the organization’s goals, nurse leadership within a servant leadership framework can help nurses stay intrinsically motivated. This effort motivates a high-performing team.

References

Baljoon, R. A., Banjar, H. E., Banakhar, M. A. (2018). Nurses’ work motivation and the factors affecting it: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing & Clinical Practices 5(277) 1-10. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15344/2394-4978/2018/277

Verywell Mind (2019). Intrinisic Motivation [website]. Retrieved from