Leadership Interview Essay Example for Free

Leadership Interview Essay Todays professional nurses assume leadership and management responsibilities regardless of the activity in which they are involved (Koernig-Blais, Hayes, Kozier, Erb, 2006, p. 2). D. Martin. is the nurse manager for The Spirit Medical Transportation Services (Spirit) of Saint Josephs Childrens Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She started her career as an ICU nurse, and from there moved into medical transportation. She worked as a staff flight nurse in three different programs, including Spirit, for 15 years before assuming the assistant nurse manager role for Spirit, and in the past year moved into the position of manager. In an interview with D. Martin she discussed achieving of a position of leadership in our nursing community. The interview included questions about her background, and the role she has today. Leadership Style D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) describes a leader as someone who is able to work effectively with other people and facilitate getting the job done. She further discusses the leader needing to have interactive communication skills. These skills she describes as two parts; first is active listening, making eye contact and giving full attention to the person speaking; the second is being able to talk and make a point with sounding condescending. Through her examples, D.Martin has a democratic or participative leadership style. Leaders with a democratic style act as a catalyst or facilitator to guide the group towards achieving group goals (Koernig-Blais et al, 2006). Democratic leadership may be less efficient than other types of leadership, but it does allow for a spirit of collaboration and creativity from group members. This type of leadership can be extremely effective in the healthcare setting (Tappen, 2001, p. 26)Personal Philosophy and Important Qualities of Leadership When questioned about important qualities or characteristics of a leader, D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) again emphasized the importance of interactive communication. D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) stated that an effective leader needs to respect their staff, or whomever they are leading. That a leader needs to learn how to be politically correct in all settings, and the  leader as manager needs to learn how to delegate, and to be aware of the fiscal responsibilities within the institution, and balance those requirements with the needs of the department they are managing. Sullivan and Decker, 2005 p. 44 state that all good managers are also good leaders. D. Martin talked interchangeably of leaders and managers, because she views herself as a leader first, and a manager second. Her views are that as a staff nurse, she was viewed as a leader among the flight crew, and now as a manager, she is still that leader, but with the responsibilities of management (D. Martin personal communication, March 6, 2008). A manager is responsible and accountable to the organization for accomplishing the goals of the organization (Sullivan Decker, 2005). When D. Martin was questioned about her personal philosophy of leadership she replied that you are never going to please everyone all of the time, and that the most important thing to remember is that you have to be able to live with your decisions, legally and ethically (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). According to D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008), quality and safety should be ranked equally at number one in consideration for what can and should be done. She believes that as a manager, she needs to be the mother tiger looking out for her cubs; that she has to protect the staffs interests. D. Martin also believes that an effective manager should have come up through the ranks. A manager should not ask the staff to do something she has not done, or would not do. Another aspect of an effective manager is that the manager should have been a clinical leader first, that they have been there, done that for years. The manager may not always be able to keep up those clinical skills, and be able to perform the clinical aspects of the job, but if they have done it for years, they will understand the concepts when the staff needs someone to talk to (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008)Learning Experiences that have Influenced Growth as a LeaderD. Martin believes that her own clinical experiences and what she has done have had the most influence on her personal development. Her bedside clinical experience in an ICU prepared her for her role as a transport nurse (personal communication, March 6, 2008). She was involved in the start-up of two different transport services, and her third experience was a transport nurse on a well established service. The first transport service she was part of was a load and go team with one of the first mobile ICUs in Wisconsin. Her belief is that being on the ground floor of two services, the personal growth from those experiences as the service went through its growing pains, makes her better prepared for the growing pains of going from peer to boss. She also emphasized that managers should not take things for granted, if they have not been where they are asking their staff to go, she feel strongly that she brings a been there, done that style to her leadership (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Evolution of Nursing Leadership in Healthcare TodayThe interview continued with the question of how she sees leadership evolving in nursing today. Her first response was disappointed. When she first started out in nursing, many registered nurses were from an associates program, and the recommendation for a management position, or to teach was someone with a bachelors degree in nursing. Once she had achieved her bachelors, the bar had been raised with the recommendation that managers have their masters degree, in nursing or in business, and that nursing instructors have their PhD in nursing or education (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her thought is that with the requirement of that much schooling, the people managing departments, and teaching new nurses, are so far removed from the clinical aspects of nursing, that they are not as effective as someone who has recently been a clinical nurse. She feels nursing needs instructors that have been there, and instructors should not be only those with the highest degrees. There needs to be opportunities for nurses to move up through the ranks through independent nursing practice, and recognition needs to be given to the clinical experts at the bedside. The advanced degree should not be more important than clinical expertise in a given field (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Challenges Facing Leaders in Todays Healthcare SystemsD. Martin (personal  communication, March 6, 2008), believes that the most challenging issues in her current position are the need to have a more global perspective, and having an appreciation for it. She described one aspect of that global perspective in terms of the hospital budget. Finding out what the hospital budget is, and that it comes down from the top of the corporation, not just the top of our individual hospital. Patients are important, but from a business standpoint, money is the bottom line (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Healthcare is a business, and needs to be run as a business. She states that the biggest passion she had to give up was that the patient comes first. She had to learn how to facilitate the system, within the budget given, and with the resources available to her. Management cannot give the staff everything they are asking for, the money, and decisions come from the top down. Management would be easy if you didnt have to deal with the people (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). The Impact of a Mentor on Leadership StyleD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) states that she has had three mentors in her career. Each is unique and she is grateful to them. Her first was her nurse manager of her first flight service. She states that he too came up through the ranks. He taught her the importance of creating a balance between management and work. Her next mentor was her first nurse manager when she started at Saint Josephs, Terri. Terri was her mentor through her masters program, and taught her the importance of being politically correct and fair. That, as a manager, you might not agree with what is being said, but you need to have enough self control to not let them see you do not agree with the company line, or to never let them see you sweat (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her third mentor was her nurse manager for the 11 years she was a flight nurse with Spirit. Through him she learned that different management styles are okay, and that an open door policy was what she respected most about his style. He also taught her the importance of credibility, and to not make promises you may not be able to keep (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Advice to Someone Interested in LeadershipD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) discussed the difficulty going from peer to boss. Her recommendation would be for anyone in that position to take a class on effective leadership to learn more on how to delegate, find resources and about fiscal responsibility. She did inform me that Saint Josephs Childrens Hospital does offer a two day seminar to employees on this topic, and she further recommends all Neonatal Intensive Care Transport Nurses take this class, as they all function in a leadership role (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her other advice was to be ready to put in long hours. To be passionate about whom you want to lead. Be clinically competent, and have confidence in yourself, and your knowledge. Stand up for yourself and your staff. Learn to take risks, and trust your instincts (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Conclusion Leadership and management are the responsibility of all professional nurses. Effective leadership and management is a learned process. Mentors can have a positive impact on the personal and professional growth of a nurse. Personal integrity, honesty, and a concern for human dignity should guide all leadership and management decisions (Koernig-Blais et. al, 2006). References: Koernig-Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., Erb, G. (2006). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Sullivan, E. J., Decker, P. J., (2005). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall HealthTappen, R. M., (2001). Nursing Leadership and Management: Concepts and Practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Sin in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Sin in The Scarlet Letter Since the dawn of time people have read, studied and enjoyed books in which the hero or heroes fall from grace. No matter who those heroes are- the human race in The Bible,the demon prince Lestat in Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles"or a certain Thane of Cawdor in "Macbeth"- sin plays a greatpart in all of their downfalls and subsequent ressurections.And the three main characters in Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"-Dimmesdale, Chillingsworth, and Hester Prynne- are no different. All three characters are flung from the normal rolesthat society has laid upon them- minister, housewife, doctor-into new roles- sinner, whore, and vengance crazed sadist.These new roles are not necessarily apparent to all in town.However, even though the townspeople do not know of thesinners, God does. And in God's eyes, whose sin was greater?That, I cannot answer. But in this mere mortal's opinion, the sin of Chillingsworth far outdid the sin of Dimmesdale or Hester Prynne, for Chillingsworth's sin was one of revengeand one of secrecy. He was not driven by an anger at his ownsin, but by the sin of others. He used deception andmanipulation to make the life of another miserable. He wasnot flung from society's view as if he were a dirty secretlike Hester was; he was embraced by it. However, his sin didtake it's toll. He was disfigured horribly and became atwisted man, scarred by sin. He also was robbed of thepleasure of destroying Dimmesdale which was his reason forliving. He died shortly after Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne, however, was the complete opposite of Chillingworth in that her sin gave her life, not destroyed it. She took her punishment and embraced it, using it to rebuild herself not as a pathetic sinner, but as a pseudo-saint. At first, the town shunned her as a sinner. However,after they saw that she was good, and her sin was of love,the same town embraced and loved her. Her sin drew her moredeeply into the society of Boston than she ever was before.And when her time to die came, she did so with honor. HesterPrynne - sinner and saint. However, Hester's sin was shared. Whereas she was asinner on the outside and a saint on the inside, ArthurDimmesdale is the reverse, both literally and figuratively.

The Battle of Hastings: Duke of Normandy, Earl of Wessex, King of Norway

At the beginning of 1066, King Edward the Confessor ruled England. He had no children so there was uncertainty on who would rule next. There were three men who wished to be king. They were William, Duke of Normandy; Harold Godwineson, Earl of Wessex, and Harald Hardraada, King of Norway. On January 6th, 1066, the day after Edward died, Harold Godwineson was crowned king. William saw this as a declaration of war, and said he would kill Harold. He immediately made plans to invade England. It took him two months to assemble his army and navy. When they were ready to leave, the wind had been blowing the wrong direction so William had to wait another couple months before he could set sail. During this time Harold was preparing for William. Harold’s army mainly consisted of highly trained soldiers known as the Housecarls. It also consisted of Fyrds, peasants serving two months at war a year for the king, who did not have much skill. Harold had been waiting at the South Coast for a long time now. His army were running out of food supplies and everyone was getting wrestles. So he decides William is not coming and dismantles his army, returning to London. Harald Hardraada, with his Viking army, had now landed on the North East Coast of England and attacked Yorkshire. Harold hears the news, reassembles his army and head on foot to Yorkshire, deciding that William would not be coming. They walked 180miles in 5 days, which was a very fast speed on foot. The Vikings were unprepared and were slaughtered. This battle was known as the Battle of Stamford Bridge. On the 27th September, 1066, William’s army set sail for England, as the weather had changed and conditions were favourable. A day later they arrived at the South Coast, expecting resistance, but none came. There was no army waiting for them. He moved through English villages, burning the villagers to attract Harold’s attention. William wanted to fight. Horses were at the heart of William’s battle plan. His army consisted of more than 2000 mounted knights. He had, in addition, hired mercenary soldiers to fight on his side. Harold’s army only fought on foot. They would not know how to respond to soldiers on horseback. Harold heard the news that the Norman’s had finally landed. He orders his army, who had many injuries and fatalities after the Battle of Stamford Bridge, south towards William. Over 7000 English soldiers together walked 250 miles. A long the way, they pass through villages, and Harold attempts to get peasants to join his army. He falsely claimed it was the Pope’s war, and that they would be instantly accepted into Heaven. After hearing this many peasants joined. However, they had no experience. Harold’s army lined up at the top a hill, forcing William to attack uphill. Harold is waiting for reinforcements to come and help out. The men at the front of Harold’s army, including Harold himself, form a shield wall. William divided his troops into three groups. His plan was to use archery to weaken the shield wall, then, when a hole appeared, would strike and break through. However the archers made little difference as they were shooting uphill. The Norman army then advances up the hill. The Saxons started throwing anything they could, including axes, towards the approaching army. The shield wall holds. When the Norman’s had reached the shield wall the cavalry tried desperately to break through the shield wall. Their attempts were useless. The left side of the Norman army falls back, and the Saxons on that side follow – a foolish mistake. These Saxons were surrounded and all killed. Both sides returned to their previous battle positions. The front line of the Saxons was now shorter, allowing the Normans to attack from the side. The Norman’s charged again at the shield wall and this time it collapsed and the Norman’s broke through. By this time Harold was dead, so his army retreated into the wood behind. This ended the Battle of Hastings. The next day Harold’s mother asked William for Harold’s body in exchange for his body weight in gold, but William refused. He said that his body should be buried in the land that he sought to guard.

Understood Objects of Symbolism in the Novel Lord of the...

In every novel, an object may represent something other than what it actually is. Lord of the Flies of by William Golding has several of these objects in it. An explanation for what objects hold symbolic meaning is would be like how snow may represent delight and happiness for a child. These objects also add side stories and add detail to the novel. Three objects that hold immense symbolic meaning in Lord of the Flies are the beast, the conch, and the signal fire. To begin with, one object that holds great symbolic meaning is the beast. When the beast is introduced into the novel, it strikes terror into numerous littluns and biguns, even if they refuse to admit it. Several of the biguns take the belief of the beast with a grain of†¦show more content†¦It also shows what the fear truly is. The beast represents the savage side of mankind and the fear it strikes into people. Additionally, a different object that holds great symbolic meaning is the conch. The conch is the lone object holding order within the island. When the conch is broken, the island became a hectic mess. Jack and his followers became savage warriors who were willing to kill anything that got into their way. Sadly, Roger is the only person ready to kill somebody. The conch represents the island’s rule system and order within the island, as well. Without either order or rules, chaos is allowed into people’s lives. As a result, without the conch, terror is released and Roger’s savage nature is permitted to do as it wishes. With the conch on the island, Roger’s evil can be prevented. Jack contributes to the chaos that occurs, as well. Without him, the island is under Ralph’s control and not split into two separate groups. In the novel it states, ’He held the conch before his face and glanced round the mouth. â€Å"Then I’ll give him the conch.† â€Å" Conch?† â€Å"That’s what this shell’s called. I’ll gi ve the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.† â€Å"But-â€Å"â€Å"Look-â€Å" â€Å"And he won’t be interrupted, except by me.† Jack was on his feet. â€Å"We’ll have rules!† he cried out excitedly. â€Å"Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33) This quote shows Ralph setting the conch’s importance into the story. Without this tiny passage,Show MoreRelatedSymbolism in Lord of the Flies by William Golding1153 Words   |  5 PagesGonzalo Barril Merino 3EMC Lord of the Flies Essay Describe the use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies By understanding symbols, you get a better picture of the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† and the hidden messages and references to human nature and a criticism of society. The author, William Golding, uses a huge amount of symbolism to reflect society of the outer world with the island. Symbols of fire, the conch and water are described all throughout the novel. Fire represents hope, strength and knowledgeRead MoreSymbolism in Lord of the Flies by William Golding1159 Words   |  5 PagesGonzalo Barril Merino 3EMC Lord of the Flies Essay Describe the use of symbolism in Lord of the Flies By understanding symbols, you get a better picture of the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† and the hidden messages and references to human nature and a criticism of society. The author, William Golding, uses a huge amount of symbolism to reflect society of the outer world with the island. Symbols of fire, the conch and water are described all throughout the novel. Fire represents hope, strengthRead MoreLiterary Devices in Pride and Prejudice8198 Words   |  33 PagesBishkek Humanities University named after K. Karasaev The Faculty of European Civilizations The English Language Department â€Å"Peculiarities of the Lexical Stylistic devices (Metaphor, metonymy, irony, simile, epithet) in the novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† by Jane Austen† DIPLOMA PAPER Scientific Supervisor: E. B. Jumakeeva Done by: Satarova Rahat, group: A08-2 Contents: Pages: Introduction Read MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagessuggestions that may prove helpful. PLOT The Elements of Plot When we refer to the plot of a work of fiction, then, we are referring to the deliberately arranged sequence of interrelated events that constitute the basic narrative structure of a novel or a short story. Events of any kind, of course, inevitably involve people, and for this reason it is virtually impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plot are, in fact, intimately and reciprocally related, especially