Leadership Skills Every Post-Acute Care Nurse Should Develop
Having been a post-acute nurse for many years, I’ve seen firsthand how nurses’ leadership skills are critical to optimizing patient care and developing a cooperative team environment. These leadership skills are important for every nurse to develop. Even if you are not in a formal leadership role, you can and should begin cultivating these skills right away. The post-acute care environment requires adaptability, critical thinking, and a compassionate approach to care to meet the unique challenges of patient recovery.
These are three key leadership skills that I believe every post-acute care nurse should develop and why they matter:
Communication Skills and Emotional Intelligence
Developing these skills will allow you to communicate effectively with interdisciplinary teams made up of doctors, nurses, rehabilitation therapists, and social workers. This will help you when creating cohesive care plans for patients that optimize their outcomes.
The ability to put yourself in the shoes of your patients and family members will help you approach them with empathy and allow you to think about how to communicate complex medical information in a way they can understand.
When you’re able to understand interpersonal dynamics and process emotions, it will help you to address conflicts or misunderstandings between team members in a professional and constructive manner, creating a more cooperative and supportive team environment.
Decision Making and Critical Thinking
We all know that in the post-acute care environment, patient care can be complex, and patient conditions can often change unexpectedly. Developing the ability to analyze situations quickly and weigh treatment options will help you stay agile and provide the best possible care.
Be confident! Your expertise can help you act decisively, but don’t hesitate to consult colleagues for their input when needed.
As a post-acute care nurse, your day can be filled with many tasks, so learning to prioritize effectively can help you ensure that the most important tasks are accomplished.
Advocacy Skills
Patient advocacy is especially critical in the post-acute care environment where patients may not have the ability to advocate for themselves. Be the voice for your patients, and push for them to receive the care they need.
Advocating for team members, too! Speak up about resource shortages and policies that impact care; this is important for ensuring an optimal working environment and a high level of care.
Addressing safety concerns and creating a culture of accountability among team members helps to prevent errors and create trust between patients and caregivers.
Leadership in post-acute care nursing is about inspiring trust, advocating for patients and peers, adapting to an ever-changing environment, thinking critically and bringing compassion and empathy to every situation. As a nurse, you are the backbone of the healthcare industry, and you owe it to yourself, your patients, and your fellow nurses to cultivate leadership skills.
Whether you are leading a team, or just leading by example, these skills will empower you to elevate the standard of care in your organization. If you are just starting your career in nursing, or are moving into your first leadership role, you can develop your leadership skills on the job, and by taking classes, finding a mentor or reading books on leadership.
Connect with me on social media to share how you build your leadership skills.