Skills needed for nurse leaders going into 2020

By Dr. Caryn Iverson, at-large director, TONE Board of Directors

Covey (2004) describes three characteristics a leader must possess to be successful: vision, courage, and humility. Planning for the future in healthcare is unpredictable. Strong leaders are needed to create solutions for 2020 to include education and management development programs. There are three competencies that should be considered when creating programs for 2020: global perspective, technology, and expert decision-making skills.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Global perspective should be a competency going into 2020. Pandemics at one time were confined to a specific region, however with the ease of international travel that is no longer the case. In 2014 Ebola reared its ugly head in North America, however it wasn’t the first. SARS, swine flu, and bird flu caused healthcare agencies to spend thousands of dollars and hours putting plans together to protect their staff and patients. The development of a global mindset in a nurse leader allows them to proactively seek and respond to trends.

TECHNOLOGY

A working knowledge of technology is the second competency a nurse leader needs going into 2020. In 2004, U.S. President George Bush set a goal that Americans would have an Electronic Health Record (EHR) by 2014. Although the healthcare system in the U.S. was able to achieve this goal, it also has created issues that will need to be addressed going forward. Centers of Medicare released the new requirements for 2017 that include nine objectives related to meaningful use with reporting to begin in 2018. One of those objectives will be to communicate to pharmacies electronically outside the hospital using certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT).

DECISION-MAKING SKILLS

Last, the nurse leader of the future will need expert decision making skills. Decisions that leaders make can often decide their success or failure and is the most difficult at times. Understanding the political environment, how to create an organizational culture and collaborative team-building skills will be needed to allow the leader to be more flexible and adaptable.

Our complex healthcare environment takes a toll on our new leaders. Organizational commitment is important, however leaders need to understand their role and responsibility as well as their need to set realistic goals. Leaders own their professional growth and will not stay in a position that does not foster a culture of development.

Nurse leadership is a unique position to be in today. There are many possibilities to learn and make a difference—be it in your own organization, sitting on a board, or educating the next generation. The question is: Where do you go from here on your journey to be a great nurse leader?

The Texas Organization of Nurse Executives (TONE) is having its annual leadership conference February 4–5 in Dallas, Texas. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is having its annual leadership conference March 30 to April 2, 2016, in Fort Worth, Texas. Conferences such as these are a great resource to network, build relationships, and ask questions.

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REFERENCES

• CMS (2015). Electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/index.html?redirect=/EHRIncentivePrograms.
• Covey, S.R. (2004). The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness. Free Press, New York.