Behind every successful healthcare facility is a dedicated nursing leader who works directly with providers and patients alike to ensure the patient receives quality care. The top ASCs seek nurse leaders with various characteristics to meet the growing demands of their patient population.
"A successful nurse leader needs to understand patient care in the ASC setting," says David Moody, vice president of operations at Regent Surgical Health. "The nurse leader should have strong leadership skills while possessing compassion for the patients."
The nurse leader has several roles. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a nurse leader's roles include:
• clinician
• client advocate
• educator
• information manager
• system analyst/ risk anticipator
• team manager
With many interrelated responsibilities, nurse leaders must be on top of their game, and make sure the nurses of a facility are also fulfilling their many responsibilities.
Here are five key characteristics:
1. Well-rounded healthcare knowledge: Nurses provide care for patients through their entire episode of care at a healthcare facility, so a nurse leader needs to understand everything that goes into that care.
"Good nurse leaders will attract other good nurses who will want to work for them. It is a trickle down effect," says Mr. Moody. "Patients will see that, physicians will see that, and it will all go together to form a whole package."
2. Team organization: Through strong nurse leaders, an ASC will create an atmosphere in which patients will enjoy the care they receive. A nurse leader can create a cohesiveness that is essential to a facility's success.
"I have seen nurse leaders, who started out as a staff nurse, who has the inherent ability to deal with people," Mr. Moody says. "It is hard to learn that."
3. Management skills: Nurse leaders can learn how to manage employees in a caring, respectful and constructive manner. Mr. Moody explains many characteristics that make a nurse leader can be cultivated.
4. Core values: Not every ASC is alike in values and environment. When hiring a nurse leader, an ASC should consider finding someone who fits in with the center's core values. Regent Surgical Health operates its ASCs based on its value system RISE — Respectful, Caring, Integrity, Stewardship and Efficiency. The management company incorporates these values into its ASCs' every day processes and operations. Therefore, Regent hires nurse leaders who share these core values to ensure the success of all its centers.
5. Consistency: Although the healthcare industry continues to evolve, what makes a successful nurse leader stays consistent throughout the years.
"Nurse leadership will remain the same. Yes, we need to evolve and embrace technology, but leadership is about dealing with people," says Mr. Moody. "It will always be the same."
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