NR 504 Week 3 Discussion: Leading and Caring for Oneself
MSN-prepared nurses serve as leaders across a wide array of healthcare and organizational
... [Show More] contexts, influencing individuals, teams, organizations, and communities. Recognizing this far-reaching impact of the MSN-prepared nurse as leader in shaping healthcare and the profession, respond to the following.
• Why are self-care and self-leadership important, and how do they relate to one’s competency as a leader? How is self-care … to self-leadership?
• Based upon the Chamberlain Care Model, what are the implications when adequate self-care is present? What are the implications when self-care is lacking or absent?
• How are self-care and self-leadership … in the principles of authentic leadership?
• What are the implications of effective self-leadership and self-care in your future MSN role? Provide two recommendations to further cultivate self-care and self-leadership.
ANSWER
Self- care is the duty that each person owes himself to be well. By taking care of yourself it gives the balance for wellness. During the self-care process one makes choices that are effective and will contribute to overall wellness and wellbeing. Self-care relates to one’s competence as a leader. First, if you are practicing self-care it will be a testament. It is obvious in your demeanor. Self-care is related to leadership in the sense of a traveler. The air hostess always emphasizes that if the plane gets into difficulty put the oxygen on yourself first. You have to care for yourself first before you can help others. Caring for yourself eases the role of leadership. It allows one to lead by example. You can reinforce do as I say and do as I do. Research has shown that nurses who care for themselves have a positive energy and vitality. This emanates in the workplace. They found that the nurses emphasize proper diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques (Blum, 2015).
Self-care also includes fostering relationships with self. It entails giving yourself what it needs to function well-(The mind, body and spirit). This will culminate in happiness. The implications of adequate self-care are: better productivity- know when to say “No”, to the things that cause stress and weigh the body down. Self-care provides better resistance to diseases. It promotes better physical health, enhance self -esteem and increase self- knowledge.
When self-care is lacking it leads to burnout. It causes distraction, anger, and fatigue. It gives rise to decrease sleep. Ongoing lack of self-care can put one at risk for serious outcomes like depression and heart disease (Branschick, 2017).
Self-care and Self -leadership are reflected in the principles of authentic leadership-authentic leadership is an integral part of effective leadership which is required to build trustful and healthy work environment. It promotes excellent care and retains staff (Wong, 2015). When the leader is practicing self-care it rolls over into self-leadership. When one is competent in self-care and self-leadership it leads to authentic leadership. Authentic leadership is promoted by the leader leading from example as he can walk the walk and talk the talk as well. Authentic leadership makes leadership simple as the message that the leader transcends is supported by life style.
What are the implications of effective self-leadership and self-care in your future MSN role? Provide two recommendations to further cultivate self-care and self-leadership.
Implications of effective self-leadership allows one to practice authentic leadership. It helps one to discover or reengage in discussion regarding our values, purpose and vision. It helps us to grasp the power of motivation which will inspire others. This helps authentic leaders to lead through purpose values. It gives us the opportunity to listen mindfully. Two recommendations to further cultivate self-leadership are: cultivate self-awareness- this allows one to develop an intellectual, emotional, and physical awareness of you that relates with compassion. It will be accentuated through practice of mindfulness and self –compassion (Wagstaff, 2018).
Self-reflection – allows one to gain wisdom from experiences learned. It gives an introspection that surpasses just thinking. One has to cogitate and meditate. It is an effort to understand how each event shapes how we view the leadership role we are in (Wagstaff, 2018).
Two recommendations to develop further self-care are prioritizing self. See self as important as the job- take time for self, for example, take frequent breaks. Each nurse is allotted three breaks. Take them. While you are on the break- think happy thoughts and use the rest room. Take alone time- turn off cellphone, spend time to look at your body and appreciate yourself, and congratulate yourself for small achievements (Brown, 2018).
Resources:
Blum, C. (2015). Practicing Self-Care for Nurses. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(3), 34–42. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No03Man03
Branschick, M. (2017, February 9). Self-Leadership. Retrieved May 10, 2020, from www.psychologytoday.com
Brown, C. (2018). Self-Renewal in Nursing Leadership: The Lived Experience. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 8(12), 38–42. Retrieved from www.journals.sagepub.com
Wagstaff, J. (2018, July 11). A New Kind of Leadership. Retrieved May 10, 2020, from www.livingnow.com
Wong, A. (2015). Authentic Leadership in Nursing. Journal of Nursing, 9(16), 947–959. [Show Less]