Madeline response
Leadership behaviors in healthcare environments should be influenced by evidence-based practice just like evidence-based practice is used to develop patient care strategies. By using evidence-based practice decision making, leaders can boost performance, contribute to accreditation criteria, and may even indirectly influence the improvement process of the health of the people in the community (Duggan et al., 2015).
One trait that has been shown by evidence to be effective for leaders is providing relational exchanges with staff. In a meta-analysis by Shirley (2017), this was one of the four key themes found throughout the top 10 research articles studied in the analysis. This rapport with staff has been shown to decrease nurse cynicism, increase job satisfaction of staff, and even increase nurse retention (Shirley, 2017).
A second key trait that has been proven by evidence-based practice to be a characteristic of effective leaders is availability of the leader. Leaders that make themselves available and assessable to their staff have shown to make nurses feel that they have a voice in their job and on patient care (Sherman & Pross, 2010). This trait, combined with the previously discussed rapport with staff, embraces a shift from the older leadership style of the one person in command over the others, to one that is a group working towards a common goal.
I currently am the assistant manager of the intensive care unit at my hospital. It is my job to assist the manager of the unit, Josh with tasks and support of staff. Josh is someone that I worked with on the floor for years before we both took our current roles. He has always had great rapport with his coworkers and with other leaders even before he was a manger. Now that he is in the management role, he has
