A Nurse's Survival Guide to Leadership and Management on the Ward

3rd Edition - December 5, 2018
Authors: Brian Dolan, Amy Lochtie
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 7 0 2 0 - 7 6 6 3 - 3

When you become a ward or unit manager, sister or charge nurse, your responsibilities change and you need a very different set of skills compared to your previous roles. You are no… Read more

A Nurse's Survival Guide to Leadership and Management on the Ward

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When you become a ward or unit manager, sister or charge nurse, your responsibilities change and you need a very different set of skills compared to your previous roles. You are now required to manage a team of staff with a set budget and are responsible for maintaining an environment in which people can work well.

This book will help you to:

Identify your responsibilities and best approaches as a manager to provide patients with a high standard of care through your staff;

Read through examples, suggestions and tips following a highly practical approach;

Manage your staff, time and budget;

Create a positive work environment;

Features:

Completely updated and revised content written by well-known authors with extensive experience in the field;

New sections on responsible use of social media, working with different generations in the workplace; how to make an impact, taking care of yourself etc.

Leading teams in the context of enduring financial and staffing constraints

Part of the A Nurse’s Survival Guide series.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Series Page
Copyright
Dedications
Foreword
Preface to Third Edition
Preface to Second Edition
Chapter 1. The Role of the Ward Manager
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Be Clear About What 24-H Responsibility Means
1.3. Unless It Is an Emergency, Discourage Being Called at Home
1.4. Minimising Risk
1.5. Your Professional and Managerial Accountability
1.6. Raising Concerns
1.7. Transformational Leadership
1.8. Developing People – Improving Care
1.9. Shared Leadership
1.10. Your Line Manager
1.11. Your Mentor
1.12. Your Clinical Supervisor
1.13. The Human Resources Department
1.14. The Finance Department
1.15. Other Ward Managers
1.16. Reducing the Risk of Work Overload
1.17. Find Out What You Need to Know
1.18. 360-Degree Feedback
1.19. Bed Management
1.20. Staffing Shortages
1.21. Sending Staff to Other Wards
1.22. Vicarious Liability
1.23. Expanded Roles
1.24. Duty to Report Concerns Regarding A Strategic Decision
1.25. Duty to Report Causes for Concern Regarding Vulnerable People
1.26. Shadow Your Manager
1.27. ‘Acting up’ in Your Manager’s Absence
1.28. Build Up a Good Working Relationship
1.29. Patients Need to Feel That the Manager Is in Control
1.30. Balancing Your Clinical Work With Administrative Duties
1.31. Doctors, Allied Health and Other Healthcare Professionals
1.32. Nursing Students
1.33. Patients and Relatives
1.34. Conclusion
1.35. Action Points
Appendix 1.1 Questionnaire to Help Identify Development Needs for Ward Managers
Chapter 2. Manage Your Time
2.1. Define Your Workload
2.2. Taking Work Home or Staying Late Regularly?
2.3. Not Getting Things Done?
2.4. Plan and Prioritise
2.5. Creating a Calmer, More Organised Work Environment
2.6. Keep Everything You Need to Do on One List
2.7. Set up an Efficient Filing System
2.8. Ensure the Office Environment Is in Good Order
2.9. Control Your Diary
2.10. Set Yourself Time Limits
2.11. Take Your Breaks
2.12. Pencil in Your Diary
2.13. Book as Much Annual Leave as You Can in Advance
2.14. Keep up With Your Emails
2.15. Delegate Your Emails to Someone Else in Your Absence
2.16. Confidentiality
2.17. File Emails
2.18. Using Emails as an Essential Time Management Tool
2.19. Cut Interruptions
2.20. Ward Rounds
2.21. Let Your Staff Know What You Are Doing in the Office
2.22. Keeping Abreast of Your Reading
2.23. Scanning
2.24. Journal Articles
2.25. Hospital Newsletter and Internal Bulletins
2.26. Getting the Best From Meetings
2.27. Chair Meetings Effectively
2.28. Learn to Let Go Through Delegation
2.29. Are You Still Doing the Job You Were Promoted From?
2.30. Delegating to Your Deputy
2.31. Delegate Effectively
2.32. Be Proactive
Appendix 2.1 Example of Terms of Reference for a Meeting
Chapter 3. Create a Positive Working Environment
3.1. Plan Ahead
3.2. Feedback With Sincerity
3.3. Do Not Talk Disapprovingly of Others
3.4. Encourage Your Staff to Take Greater Responsibility
3.5. Deal With Team Conflict
3.6. Implement Clinical Supervision
3.7. Action Points
Chapter 4. Manage Staff Performance
4.1. Get to Know Your HR Advisor
4.2. Write Everything Down
4.3. Make Appraisals Work
4.4. Know How to Handle Unacceptable Behaviour
4.5. Handle Poor Performance/Incompetence
4.6. Know When and How to Discipline
4.7. Actively Manage Sick Leave
4.8. Ensure All Staff Have Appropriate Training, Development and Support
4.9. Provide Additional Support for Mentors
4.10. Inform and Involve All of Your Team
4.11. Consider Team-Based Self-rostering
4.12. Action Points
Chapter 5. Make Sure Care is Patient-Centred
5.1. Maintain Your Clinical Skills
5.2. Reverse Mentoring
5.3. Ensure that all Patients have a Full Assessment and Care Plan
5.4. Be Clear About what Healthcare Assistants Can and Cannot Do
5.5. Nursing Associates
5.6. Eliminate Long Handovers
5.7. Work Towards the Named Nurse (or Primary Nursing)
5.8. Make Sure Patients are Informed
5.9. Producing Your Own Information for Patients and Relatives
5.10. Performance Indicators, Audits and Benchmarking
5.11. Manage Staffing Shortages
5.12. Take the Lead on Ward Rounds
5.13. Ensure the Patient’s Own Nurse Attends the Ward Round
5.14. Observe the Patient’s Body Language
Chapter 6. Manage Your Budget
6.1. Know What Your Budget Is
6.2. Prioritise Pay
6.3. Go Through Your Monthly Budget Statement
6.4. Manage Annual Leave
6.5. Manage Your Unplanned Absence Allowance
6.6. Plan Your Study Leave Allowance
6.7. Get Your Staff Involved in Non-pay
6.8. Be More Active in the Business Planning Process
6.9. Do Not Do Anything Without Identified Funding
6.10. Meet Regularly With Your Finance Advisor
6.11. Action Points
Chapter 7. Improve Quality and Safety
7.1. Quality Indicators
7.2. Identify Mistakes and Risks
7.3. Investigate Complaints Appropriately
7.4. Tips for Calling or Meeting With a Complainant
7.5. Investigate Incidents Appropriately
7.6. Make Improvements
Appendix 7.1 Example of Progress Sheet for a Complaint Investigation
Chapter 8. Instigate a Rolling Recruitment Programme
8.1. Review the Post With the Person Who Is Leaving
8.2. Write Good Adverts and Application Packages
8.3. Shortlist and Arrange Interviews Properly
8.4. Get the Best Out of the Interview Process
8.5. Follow-up All Candidates Personally
8.6. Arrange a Good Induction Programme
8.7. Continually Explore All Other Avenues to Get Staff
8.8. Do Not Discriminate
8.9. Succession Plan
8.10. Fully Involve Your Team in All Aspects of Recruitment
8.11. Action Points
Chapter 9. Be Politically Aware
9.1. Understand How Healthcare Is Managed Nationally
9.2. The Value of the Board of Directors
9.3. Network – Get to Know the Right People
9.4. Be Diplomatic
9.5. Get Recognition for Yours and Your Teams Work
9.6. Choose Your Mentor and Mentees With Care
9.7. Plan Ahead for Your Own Needs
9.8. Keep a File for Your CV
9.9. Political Awareness and Social Media
Appendix 9.1
Chapter 10. Look After Yourself
10.1. Set Up a Peer Support Group or Action Learning Set
10.2. Develop the Role of Your Deputy
10.3. Get Yourself a Mentor
10.4. Choose Your Support System Carefully
10.5. Reduce Stress
10.6. Learn from Mistakes and Embrace the Experience
10.7. Remember It is Only a Job
Chapter 11. Be a Good Role Model
11.1. Be Smart
11.2. Make a Good First Impression
11.3. Always Try to Smile and Be Positive
11.4. Speak Clearly
11.5. Be Relaxed and in Control
11.6. Make Your Writing Distinguishable
11.7. Be Aware of How Others See You
11.8. Set an Example With Your Choice of Language
11.9. Never Moan or Gossip About Others
11.10. Do Not Stagnate
Chapter 12. Manage Your Manager
12.1. Clarify Expectations
12.2. Work With, Not Against, Your Manager
12.3. Act, if an Important Decision Has Been Made Without Your Consultation
12.4. Act, if a Change in Another Department Has a Knock-on Effect in Yours
12.5. Write Clear and Timely Reports
12.6. Know How to Conduct a Good Investigation
12.7. Guiding Principles of Investigations
12.8. Action Points
Chapter 13. Manage Difficult Situations
13.1. The Difficult Manager
13.2. The Problematic Colleague
13.3. Allegations of Bullying or Harassment Within Your Team
13.4. Staff Complaints
13.5. Helping Your Staff to Act
13.6. Dealing With Racism or Other Forms of Discrimination
13.7. Unsafe Staffing Levels
13.8. Cliques
13.9. Be Specific About Expanding Nursing Roles
13.10. Be Proactive With Enforced Moves or Mergers of Services
Appendix 13.1 Example of Simple Gantt Chart for Ward Move/Merger
Chapter 14. Manage Difficult Team Members
14.1. Staff Who Refuse to Look Professional or Wear Proper Uniform
14.2. Staff Who Refuse to Accept Change
14.3. Staff Who Cannot Seem to Prioritise Their Work
14.4. Staff Labelled as Lazy
14.5. Staff With Alcohol Problems
14.6. Members of Staff Who Do Not Get on
14.7. Staff Who Seem Careless and Sloppy
14.8. Staff Who Manipulate Situations for Their Own Gain
14.9. Staff Who Are Continually Late for Duty
Appendix 14.1 Example of a SWOT Analysis for Bedside Handover
Chapter 15. Get the Best Advice
15.1. Know Where to Go for Legal Advice
15.2. Know Where to Go for Professional Advice
15.3. Utilise the Chaplaincy Department
15.4. Utilise Nurse Specialists
15.5. Help Patients and Relatives Access the Right Advice
15.6. Keep Up-To-Date With Risk Management Issues
15.7. Consult Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
15.8. Maximise Computer Access
15.9. Utilise the Knowledge and Skills of Your Nursing Colleagues
15.10. Utilise the Practice Development Team
Index

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health

A Nurse's Survival Guide to Leadership and Management on the Ward

Purchase options

Empowering Progress

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Brian Dolan

Amy Lochtie