NUR-630 CAT 2 Topic 2 DQ 2

As I read these discussions I think of my own journey from a bedside nurse to a leader. My passion for leadership or my “why” for my career progress comes from my desire to fix all of the things that I hear in these forums. I want to have a voice at the table of policy and change. Like many leaders I have gone from being the voice from the bedside to being the voice of the bedside. Instead of sounding the alarm I am the one responding to the 5 alarm fire. As a leader who is on your graduate journey’s to have influence at the policy table how will you respond to the 5 alarm fire? Should empathy be felt from the bedside for the leaders as much as it should be directed toward the bedside from the leaders? Might this help unite nursing during a challenging time of growing regulation and the emergence of managed care and the prospective payment system (PPS)?

Might this model to improve healthcare culture be helpful at anyone’s institution?

Solution

According to Živković (2024), empathy is an important emotional intelligence competency that is developed through a desire to listen with intent and include all those involved. From a leadership to staff perspective, empathy helps improve morale, mental and emotional well-being, and create an environment favoring staff empowerment. According to Živković (2024), empathy can be taught by listening before speaking, treating all staff members with fairness and providing a discrimination free environment, recognizing and valuing the opinions of staff, allowing staff in shared decision making, and evaluate leadership decisions that might undermine equity between staff. The short answer for the reverse is yes, staff should show equal empathy toward leaders. An insight from my own experience is being open and honest about the decisions I am making as a nurse leader and this transparency has enlightened most of the staff I have interacted with about the weight of my decisions. The comment I hear the most is, “I am glad I don’t have to make the decision.” Empathy is such an important factor for all facets of healthcare that Howick et al. (2024), suggests every person in the healthcare service line requires empathy training from the receptionist to the physician will benefit. New emerging system that require empathetic interaction include the use of artificial intelligence and the once overlooked physical space is now being reviewed as a potential research point to improve workflow and invitability for patients (Howick et al., 2024).

Howick, J., de Zulueta, P., & Gray, M. (2024). Beyond empathy training for practitioners: Cultivating empathic healthcare systems and leadership. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 30(4), 548–558. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jep.13970

Živković, S. (2024). Humanizing Leadership: From Empathy to Inclusion. Journal of Accounting & Management, 14(1), 49–57.

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