The Road to Leadership in SPN

Abstract

Trustworthy, respectful, responsive, problem solvers, inspiring, empowering, and skilled are all words that can be used to describe a leader. These words are also used to describe a nurse; however, nurses typically do not use the word “leader” to describe what they do every day. Over the past few years, many organizations have promoted the very descriptive mantra that states that nurses are “Leaders at the Bedside.” If the organizations proclaim that the nurses are leaders at the bedside, it is time to convince bedside nurses of their ability to expand these leadership skills and embrace opportunities beyond the bedside to look for opportunities to advance the profession of pediatric nursing. Whether the nurse is precepting, sitting on a hospital-based council or attending a local nursing organization's meeting, nurses need to recognize that they are demonstrating, in fact, leadership beyond the bedside. They are demonstrating that nurses are highly knowledgeable, logical, critical thinkers that use data to advocate for patients, families, and colleagues. Professional organizations, like the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN), are positioned to support and nurture the pediatric nurse to become a stronger, more impactful leader, both at the bedside and within the professional organization. Feeling welcomed and supported in an organization on a local or district level allows the individual to experience the challenges and benefits of getting involved at the grassroots level, gain confidence and then continue to grow and advance to greater levels. Leaders within local professional organizations seek out volunteers who demonstrate leadership behaviors and groom them for positions within the organization. In these leadership positions, the pediatric nurse is given an opportunity to have a voice in what is happening on the local level and often that voice rolls on to the national level. Having a voice means being heard by others and can be very empowering for the pediatric nurse. Learning to base ideas for improved delivery of care in evidence and present them to others with the evidence (not opinion) is a skill that will benefit the nurse in the clinical setting as well as in the professional organization. The pediatric nurse that uses knowledge, expertise and data to lead on the local level opens the door to more leadership opportunities with the national organization (Whitney and Gale, 2015Whitney K. Gale S. Positioning professional membership organizations for success: Achieving sustainability.Nurse Leader. 2015; 1: 55-61Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (5) Google Scholar). These opportunities to do more may include presenting topics of interest in a formal educational setting, participating in improvement science or research, and serving in a larger leadership role, such as a board member or officer. Involvement helps to keep the volunteer engaged. Engaged volunteers that reap the benefits from the local opportunities will ultimately benefit the national organization through retention, networking and service. On a local level, the pediatric nurse can “get discovered” (Lombardi, 2015Lombardi J. Membership has its privileges.Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2015; 30: 937-938https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2015.09.006Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar). Serving as a volunteer at the chapter or district level, the nurse can network with others, mentor in a formal or informal way and serve in a consistent, dependable manner. These early leadership skills will not go unnoticed. Those leaders that do take note will often recommend and encourage the volunteer to serve in other capacities, both locally and nationally. Professional organizational leaders look for pediatric nurses who have a strong interest in the organization. Engaging potential, new or interested members is the first way that leaders will begin enticing them to become involved. Surveying membership to find out why they joined can be another way to engage and target the volunteer leadership pool. The local level is where the grassroots networking begins (Brancato, 2011Brancato V.C. Pennsylvania Nurse. Dec 2011; 66 (3 pp.): 22-24PubMed Google Scholar). Local chapters meet more frequently than the national organization and keep the pediatric nurses involved with peers in a supportive environment. With more frequent meetings, opportunities for the nurse to step up and lead are more readily available. Working together as a team and sharing experiences that generate questions or suggest possible practice modifications allow the nurses to learn about the organization's resources and how to use them. The local level allows the group to practice many skills and develop new skills within a safe, nurturing and supportive environment. The leaders at the local level take note of the group's activity and encourage them to participate at regional and national levels. When the call to serve is available, the leaders recruit, evaluate and provide feedback to the local level members, encouraging them to volunteer for a greater role in the organization based on their local activity. Local leaders also actively engage colleagues about the advantages of local membership and encourage others to join and participate in roles with which they feel comfortable (Brancato, 2011Brancato V.C. Pennsylvania Nurse. Dec 2011; 66 (3 pp.): 22-24PubMed Google Scholar). It is also important for the local organizational leaders to provide feedback to the members. This can be challenging for volunteer leaders who may not be trained to provide constructive criticism to other members and potential leaders. This is a leadership skill for which there are resources available from the national office and at the national conferences. It is important to make this information available to all active and potential leaders so they can benefit as they move into a larger leadership role with more responsibilities. Volunteering on the local level will help to cultivate the skill set that is needed on the larger regional or national level. Through the local involvement, the volunteer pediatric nurse leaders should plan to attend the annual conference. Financial support to attend the organization's annual conference may be available through the local chapter, the workplace or require a (tax-deductible) personal investment. This exposure to the national organization can be invaluable and worth the investment for any nurse interested in serving on a national level. Exposure to leaders in their subspecialty as well as peer networking will enhance the volunteer leaders' skill set. Through networking on the national level at the annual conference, members can learn more about national special interest groups (SIGS), standing committee work and special task forces. When a volunteer leader is visible on a local level, it often leads to exposure on a national level. When the pediatric nurse completes a willingness to serve form on a national committee, SIG group or task force, they need to include the work that they are doing on a local level. Once a volunteer leader is invited to participate at the national level, the pediatric nurse needs to be prepared to get involved, be present in meetings and provide feedback when asked. The chairs of the committees will support, encourage and provide feedback to assist new members acclimate to the role and gain confidence. First time members on committees are encouraged to either ask for or find a mentor at the national level will assist in developing the leadership skills to take on a larger role (Guerrieri, 2010Guerrieri R. Nursing. May 2010; 40 (2 pp.): 47-48Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar). Creating and setting professional leadership goals is important to all pediatric nurses. A novice nurse, who is looking for professional growth through educational opportunities and networking or a seasoned nurse looking for more opportunities to share knowledge and experience, can meet those professional goals by joining and becoming active at the local, regional and national level of SPN. In the fast paced clinical setting in which many nurses work, the patients have become “quicker and sicker”. There is less time available in the clinical setting for the informal networking and discussion between the newer nurses and their more experienced colleagues. Nursing professional associations can help to give the nurse a sense of belonging and an opportunity to develop the leadership skills that will benefit any nurse in the clinical setting and beyond (Guerrieri, 2010Guerrieri R. Nursing. May 2010; 40 (2 pp.): 47-48Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar).