Nursing is a rewarding, albeit challenging occupation. The journey begins with an arduous academic regimen that sadly weeds out some aspiring nurses. Upon graduating, you are thrust into an equally challenging and exciting clinical environment.
Many nurses aspire to work their way up to leadership positions. However, that is only possible if you hone leadership skills that will make you stand out amongst the pack. Follow along as we explore how you can one day become a strong nurse leader and the skills that it requires.
Your Leadership Journey Starts in Nursing School
The pipeline to becoming a nurse leader starts in school. This is where you will learn the basics that you will eventually apply when you become a certified nurse. You will then apply everything you’ve learned to practical use once your career starts.
However, becoming a nurse leader can take a long time if you don’t practice leadership skills as early as possible. You can set yourself up for success as a nurse leader if you start your journey in nursing school.
Become a Sponge
The phrase “you are the sum total of the people you meet” applies to nursing school in many ways. You will encounter many students, teachers, and working nurses during your time in school. Pay attention to how your teachers and working nurses you encounter conduct themselves.
That’s especially true during clinical rotations when you get thrown into a professional setting. Watch how the administrators and nurses behave. You can learn a lot about the importance of strong leadership if you pay attention to the Chief Nursing Officer “CNO”.
Absorb all of this information and apply it to what you learn in nursing school. Keep in mind that you don’t need to adopt someone else’s approach to leadership. However, watching nurse leaders in action can provide invaluable information that you can only get in a practical setting.
Collaborate with Fellow Students
Nursing school is a collaborative experience for many students. After all, you must learn and retain lots of information, so study groups and friendly check-ins are invaluable. The more you collaborate with your peers, the more you will learn the importance of leadership skills, like communication.
Someone must take the lead in scheduling and arranging study sessions. This is also a great time to learn about the importance of reasonability and empathy in leadership. You can’t just set a time and expect your friends to show up to study or work on a project.
Speak to your peers and work around their schedules, learning styles, and goals. This will eventually come in handy in a professional setting.
Nurture a Friendly Environment
Nursing school is stressful enough without confrontations. However, some nursing students crack under pressure and argue or entertain negative scenarios. That isn’t the end of the world as it is reasonable, but that won’t work well in a professional setting.
Nurse leaders must maintain positive, friendly environments to ensure a productive and pleasant work environment. You can train for your future leadership role if you set a positive tone amongst your fellow nursing students. Granted, that doesn’t mean you must preach to your peers about how they’re being negative.
Instead, listen to your peers and let them vent as needed, much like a Chief Nursing Officer would. It’s also important to set a great example of positivity. This will prepare you to remain positive and professional years from now when you hold a leadership position.
Create Strong Communication Habits
Communication is important for nurses at any level. However, you won’t likely make it to a nursing leadership role if your communication skills aren’t extraordinary. Active listening, compassion, and succinctly delivering information are critical communication skills for nurse leaders.
These skills are equally important for dealing with nurses and your fellow nurses. Compassion should be at the core of each conversation, even when dealing with your professional peers. After all, you’re all there for one reason: to help those in need.
A nursing staff that struggles with conflict and poor communication may not give their patients their all. By setting a great example to those around you, you can help instill great communication habits in your peers.
Hone Your Leadership Skills to Go the Distance
You can only land a leadership position in nursing if you put in a lot of hard work. Nursing school is challenging, and some students understandably don’t want to incur more stress. However, prioritizing leadership skills makes it much easier to thrive and advance as a nurse in the workplace.
Aspiring nurse leaders have plenty of time to hone their leadership skills in school. Granted, that doesn’t mean you should procrastinate learning leadership skills. Instead, think about how each academic and clinical lesson you learn can eventually make you a strong nurse leader.
This will help you work your way up to a nurse leadership position much faster. That said, moving up the ladder naturally takes time. However, every academic and clinical experience until then will prepare you to be the best nurse leader you can be.
