Personal Administrative Philosophy

When I consider the values that frame my personal nursing administrative philosophy, I have tried to consider what qualities I admire in other leaders, what draws me to them, makes me want to work with them and be around them day after day. I like to be around someone who makes me feel good, who is happy, friendly, welcoming, and encouraging. Who teaches others gently and effectively by serving as a positive role model and demonstrating their expectations through their own actions and words. I like to work with someone who is kind, open to new ideas, who does not draw negative conclusions quickly, but gives the benefit of the doubt, and sees mistakes as a learning opportunity. I like to be around someone who makes me feel secure in my job, encourages me to trust my gut, and is genuinely happy to see me. The values that frame my personal administrative philosophy come down to: (1) be kind and expect respect, tolerance, and equity in the workplace, (2) mentor, encourage, and motivate others, and (3) know your stuff and recognize your limits.

We are all connected, art, science, medicine, spirituality, humanity, and beyond intersect to a moment in a person’s life experience, where we as nurses and providers of care, also intersect with that life journey (“10 Caritas Processes®,” 2021). Whenever we encounter another, we have the power to intentionally be a positive influence on their life (or not).  We have control over our own attitude and behaviors, how we react, interact, and approach others. For my journey I choose to be kind and accepting, to promote respect, open-mindedness, equity, innovation, and a sense of pride, enjoyment, and satisfaction in the work we do. 

The Nursing Administration Scope and Standards of Practice (2009) serve as a guideline, outlining the standards of practice and professional performance for nurse administrators.  The Standards of Practice include: Assessment, identifying issues, problems, or trends, outcomes identification, planning, implementation, consultation, and evaluation (American Nurses Association, 2009). The Standards of Professional Performance are: Quality of practice, education, professional practice evaluation, collegiality, collaboration, ethics, research, resource utilization, leadership, and advocacy (American Nurses Association, 2009). Thus, the scope and standards incorporate an organizational perspective to my framework, emphasizing the need to be able to visualize my role on another level with a perspective that incorporates transactional as well as transformational approaches, adding in the needs to consider patterns, plans, monitoring of results of changes implemented, and research. All together these three frameworks help to form my foundation as I grow in my role as a nurse leader to help me to be a successful nursing administrator and build the base for my core values.

Be kind and expect respect, tolerance, and equity in the workplace. Work should be an environment that is safe, respectful, honest, open, genuine, and caring. A nurse leader is flexible, open to change, listens actively, and allows input and participation in decision-making from all levels. In addition to acceptance of others, a leader needs to take moments of self-reflection, to seek to truly know themselves, their strengths and weaknesses. A leader takes time to reflect beyond the singular of a nurse or a patient, but to see each person is a whole, with a sense of self, family, community, society, humanity, and spirituality (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2021).

A good leader personifies and models the values they hold dear, thus must know what those values are and consider as to whether they are modeling them appropriately or not. As a leader I want to be insightful, to be sensitive to others’ development personally and professionally, to recognize where they are coming from, and encourage them to grow, learn, and continually strive to improve. Insight allows one to evaluate self and others constructively, considering one’s personal journey and where they are in their journey in their evaluation and feedback.  As a leader I will seek to foster mindfulness and positive self-talk. To help to make the workplace a positive and supportive environment, to be generous and forgiving, to develop trusting, caring relationships, to accept others, and seek to create a truly healing environment (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007; Watson Caring Science Institute, 2021).

A leader should mentor, encourage, and motivate others.  By serving as a role model a leader can foster future generations of nurses. An administrator should always engage, encourage, and recognize and utilize the strengths and skills of others. They should participate actively in professional organizations and encourage participation in others.  To seek to collaborate with other disciplines, build caring relationships, and serve as an advocate for nurses, patients, the community, and the profession of nursing.

Employees are leaders’ greatest assets, treat them like gold, they are our greatest investment, and “people are not expendable” (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 146). Those working with us want good outcomes, they want to do well, and want to care the best way they can for patients (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 153). We must recognize the talents of others and acknowledge them, learn from them, teach them, care for them, mentor them, challenge them, help them to be the best they can, and they will provide high quality care (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 153). Encourage “out of the box” thinking, innovation, creative problem-solving, and set high standards and expectations to help others develop to their full potential.

Solutions to problems will often come from places and people we do not expect, thus we must listen, and always be open to learning from and truly hearing those around us. A simple conversation on an elevator can bring to light a fabulous idea or provide critical knowledge that we may have never expected, changing our course, or that of an organization, in ways we never expected. Utilize those experiencing the problem for problem-solving as they are the experts on the situation since they are the ones experiencing it, from employees to patients this will hold true (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 66). If we create an environment of trust, where employees feel they matter and can make a difference, we can better embrace the talents, passion, and enthusiasm of those we work with, creating a healthy work environment, and happier, healthier employees.

Know your stuff and recognize your limits. A leader must have a firm foundation of knowledge, theories, policies, issues and trends. To be able to collect, evaluate, and interpret relevant data, as well as to apply findings appropriately to implement change effectively in the workplace. We must embrace change and technological advancement, recognize our disparities in our styles and personality, and fill them with resources (people, ideas, information). As a leader I seek to challenge the status quo, to take a step back and see how and why we are doing things we way they are done and seek to improve and adjust to changing needs. I want to create a culture of innovation, providing diversity for added perspective and insight. I want to support research and continuing education, not just verbally, but fiscally, and through extrinsic and intrinsic reward. I seek to utilize evidence to ensure the highest quality care, and encourage awareness of political, organizational, and world health concerns to help others to see the value and strength they have as individuals to make an impact and create real change in the lives of others.  

Beyond the items listed above, most importantly, a leader must seek to know themselves, their personal values, so that we remain anchored to our philosophy and take pride in our practice (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 153; Parse, 1989, p. 111). We each have our own talents and gifts, and we must choose to use our talents to make things better for patients and their families, as well as to embrace our faults (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 153). By knowing our weaknesses, we are more understanding and forgiving of weaknesses in others, and do not punish them for their faults, but celebrate their strengths. As a leader I will stay true to myself, listen to my inner voice, take my pride and ego out of the process, and maintain integrity (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 203). Integrity is a “touchstone” for a leader, the rock that supports you when you wonder “did I make the right decision?” (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 203). I will listen to my gut, and stay true to my inner self, if I fall back on my touchstone, I can’t go wrong.  

I recognize this philosophy is just the beginning as I grow as a leader, learning more about the role of a nurse, leader, and administrator. I know this philosophy will continue to grow, change, and mature as I better know myself and can reflect upon my ever-changing experiences and knowledge. “Leadership a journey, a constantly evolving and developing process,” thus we must anticipate and embrace to be constantly learning and changing, adjusting our perspective and incorporating bits and pieces into our own philosophy (Hansen-Turton et al., 2007, p. 153).