This is a Discussion from a Student, all I need is to response to the student.

Upon analysis of the article entitled Preparing Nurse Leaders for 2020 by nursing researcher Carol Huston, I gained new insight on the qualities, characteristics, and skillsets required to be an effective nursing leader in today’s dynamic healthcare environment. Huston (2008) acknowledges eight leadership competencies that would lead to impactful leadership which are (1) a global perspective on healthcare issues, (2) a working knowledge of technology, (3) decision-making skills rooted in empirical science, (4) creating healthcare environments that focus on quality and safety, (5) political savviness, (6) authentic leadership, (7) team-building skills, and (8) adapting to change. When these leadership competencies are incorporated into a leader’s repertoire, they can have profound effects on leadership quality and enhance the social, economic, and political atmosphere found within an organization.

I found Huston’s article very insightful and I believe she gave great examples on each of her main topics as to how leaders can transform themselves to make a positive impact within their organizations. Huston (2008) highlighted the fact that having a global perspective allows us to think more creatively and share strategies that could provide greater success in fixing complex health care dilemmas. When leaders focus on life-long learning and incorporate new technology within their healthcare units it can result in optimized care. For example, clinical decision support (CDS) is a new technological application that helps health professionals make clinical decisions and enhance patient care by providing cutting edge research and best practice information at their fingertips (Huston, 2008). Another strategy nursing leaders of the future may use to address complex problems and improve the quality of their decision-making is the use of commercially purchased expert networks – communities of top thinkers, managers, and scientists – to help them make decisions (Huston, 2008). Gaining a clear understanding of the politics found within their organization will allow nursing leaders to be more proactive rather than reactive and balance out power struggles found within their team (Huber, 2018). Authentic leadership is a process that occurs over time and requires reflection, self-discovery, and self-improvement. Authentic leaders consistently work on themselves and help bring out the best in others so they can also reach their full potential. Finally, Huston suggests that versatility and adaptability is probably the most desired trait found within a leader in this new day and age. Leaders who understand the emerging realities of healthcare and who can adapt accordingly will continue to thrive in this ever-changing environment.

References

Huston, C. (2008). Preparing nurse leaders for 2020. Journal of Nursing Management, 16(8), 905–911. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00942.x

Huber, D. L. (2018). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders.