As nursing teams across the country face more patients and high stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, they look to their leaders to inspire, support and guide them. The very best leaders anticipate their teams' needs and rise to the occasion, steering them through unchartered waters.
At a Sept. 9 session at the Becker's Clinical Leadership Virtual Event, a panel of nursing leaders discussed the characteristics of unforgettable nursing leaders as well as lessons learned while leading amid a pandemic. Panelists included:
● Michael Howard, chief nursing officer at Arkansas Children's Hospital Northwest in Springdale
● Scott Lethi, RN, chief nursing officer at Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center
● K. David Bailey, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer at UCLA Health Santa Monica (Calif.)
Here is an excerpt from the conversation, edited for clarity. To view the full session on-demand, click here.
Question: What are the main differences between good nursing leaders and the unforgettable ones?
Scott Lethi: I think that a good leader is someone who has a plan, [while] a great leader is going to be the catalyst and also the rudder. You need to be able to change course, steer the team where they're going. You need to be able to make an informed, rapid decision. Those around you need to know that you support them, that you're headed in one direction, and the term is, "I got your back."
Michael Howard: I think one of the main things that differentiates the two is that the leader does the small things. We've all been trained in doing the small things, such as thank you cards, rounding, public recognition and just generally connecting with the staff, but what I think makes that important is that when it gets busy, when it gets hectic, the small things are usually what get pushed to the side first.
And the other thing that I think that distinguishes a great leader from a good leader is the amount of time that's spent out of the office — that is, the amount of time that we spend with the staff, that we round with patients, that we round with families, that we're there making that connection between the leadership and the staff. I feel that that really emphasizes the culture of the organization.
Dr. David Bailey: I think you have to be able to help connect staff with the why. Why are you doing something? Help them understand the why, and they usually will move with you.
The other thing that I'd like to add is, we as leaders have to be mentors. You have to be willing to mentor [your team], and they may outgrow the position they're in, or they may grow your organization, but that's OK. It's the right thing to do, because we have to be willing to invest in their future. And when they do that, it also is an investment into your organization, because you get to experience that journey with them, and the things that they will learn and bring back to their settings, their units, their patients, into their teams.