Leadership in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership in Nursing - Essay Example Hence the nursing needs for the elderly have become an issue of growing concern in Hong Kong. Traditionally, the care of the sick is considered to be the moral duty of their family members among the Chinese. Hence, being cared for by nurses, who are strangers, "places the Chinese people in somewhat of a paradoxical situation" (Pang et al., cited in Smith & Tang 2004, p.18). Therefore, the success of nursing care depends also on the nurse's ability to act as a surrogate family member. With increasing health issues of the elderly and their near-total dependence on healthcare facilities, private nursing homes are increasing in demand for the confinement of the elderly with deteriorating health issues like cerebrovascular accidents, fractures such as hip fractures, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive airways disease, dementia, parkinsonism, etc. The government has funded three forms of residential care, with the aged homes providing assistance with activities of daily living, C&A homes providing personal attention and some nursing care, and infirmaries providing more intensive nursing care with medical supervision (Bartlett & Phillips 1995, p.238). Though several measures have been undertaken to increase the number of residential care homes, the availability of such care homes unfortunately still fall short of demand. This places increasing responsibility on the available nursing care personnel. According to a study done by Leung et al... Though several measures have been undertaken to increase the number of residential care homes, the availability of such care homes unfortunately still fall short of demand. This places increasing responsibility on the available nursing care personnel. According to a study done by Leung et al. (2000, p.65) from a random sample of private nursing homes in Hong Kong East region, increasing number of bedridden or chairbound patients, increasing dependency for basic activities of daily living, increasing problems of incontinence of bowel and/or bladder, increasing use of supporting devices, aggravating problems of bedsore, etc. lead to more hospitalizations and specialist out-patient clinic visits. Unfortunately the incidences of re-hospitalizations of these patients with recurrences of the same disease conditions have been gaining in frequency recently. "Frail elderly patients are shuffled back and forth between acute care, non-acute care, old age homes and the community" (Derrick 1998, p.1). This situation calls for a highly efficient and totally effective nursing care system. This report studies the scenario in a private nursing home in Hong Kong. The scenario is analysed for the effectiveness of the nursing care rendered by the present nursing team, its leadership style, and its advantages and disadvantages. Also studied are the different leadership styles and concepts that are applicable to this context. New strategies for improving the situation are developed, and appropriate leadership skills are recommended that suit these strategies. 2. Context I work as intern in a nursing team handling 100 inhabitants of a private nursing home in Hong Kong. The average age of the group is