Case Study in Leadership: De-motivation in staff nurses

Case Study in Leadership: De-motivation in staff nurses

Introduction

The purpose of this case study is to expand the boundaries of author's knowledge by exploring some relevant facts related to different aspects of leadership in nursing. This case study examines the causes of demotivation in staff nurses working in Oman, and the consequences in nursing practice outcomes. By understanding different types of strategies to cope with the demotivation among nurses can be identified which may in turn improve the quality of care in health care practice (Tourangeau ,2010). Demotivation is one of the most issues that crucially affect nurses' behavior towards nursing practice. It has been noticed that many nurses in Oman from the author's institution are demotivated due to many substantial reasons which will be explained later on (Fairhurst, 2007).

This case study explores transformational leadership style and emphasis is placed upon its impact on employee's job satisfaction. In addition, it discusses the ways the nurse's managers can apply the transformational leadership style to manage the complexities of the current health service issues related to motivating their employees.

Case Analysis

The author is an employee in a health institution as Head of Nursing Affairs, the main roles and responsibilities of the author are recruitment, conducting meeting and quality auditing, staff appraisals, performance management and any other nursing staff issues that relate to employment.

The author is conducting a yearly departmental auditing by using various auditing checklist tools such as minutes of meeting, client satisfactions (Swansburg, 2002, pp. 42-58), staff satisfaction and performance appraisals (Timmreck, 2001). As a result of the analysis of these tools, demotivated factors were highlighted which are noted below.

In this situation, role stress, lack of appreciation, work overload, lack of clarity in work, favouritism, mistrust, and miscommunication are the common factors which seem to be affecting nurses in Oman.. Consequently; high percentage of absenteeism, the request for the transfer and low work productivity among staff nurses are observed (Bleich 2000, Gifford, 2002). Moreover, many nursing supervisors were promoted without proper training in the administrative aspects, the only criteria for promotion was their years of experience.

Leadership in Healthcare

Leadership in health care presents opportunity for unique challenge and self-fulfillment. It also calls on deep personal strength, values, and vision (Bishop and Scott, 2001, Jones and Jenkins, 2006).

In addressing health care leaders, we are reminded of the clear differences among them: some lead academic medical centers, others are responsible for health systems comprising multiple hospitals, and still others work in long-term care services, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals, hospice care, outpatient and ambulatory care, teaching and research institutions, managed care organizations, and other divergent organizations—all of them participants within a continuum of care (Fairhurst, 2007). In some cases, hospitals stand alone as the sole provider in their communities, smaller in size, more narrow in scope of services, and limited to the primary and secondary care services that are within their range of technology and practitioner skill. Still others are of moderate size and scope (Fairhurst, ...