References
The nurse leader as a coach: Is the tide turning?
Abstract
As the demographics of the nursing workforce change, attitudes to some kinds of workforce development are shifting. This article looks at how leaders of nursing teams can act as coaches, to improve their junior colleagues' practice
As a new generation of nurses enter the profession and take their rightful place as registered nurses and as new pre-registration nursing standards have now replaced old, the profession is perhaps uniquely poised to take a step further and embrace coaching as a viable form of academic and professional support, either working alongside or replacing the traditional model of mentorship. With the nursing literature continuing to highlight the importance of coaching, this paper will argue that ‘The Tide is indeed…Turning’ and that coaching with its emphasis on empowerment should be given a ‘strong seat at the table’ of nurse education, with nursing leaders in particular adopting this considered approach to responsible learning.
Today's work environment is characterised by its ‘volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity’ a concept aptly named VUCA (Bennett and Lemoine, 2014). Initiating positive change within organisations therefore presents a significant leadership challenge (Bawaney, 2016); one which calls for workforce development in line with strategic organisational goals, that encourage not only the development of learning structures but also emphasise the importance of coaching (Ellinger et al, 2003). However, as Grant and Hartley, (2013) purport, this is not necessarily being applied back in the workplace. Although Ellinger et al (2018), refute this by suggesting that significant benefits have been demonstrated by those managers who have developed a coaching approach.
Contemporary workplaces share the space with a number of generational groups. From traditionalists to Baby-boomers; Generation X to Millennials each generation has its own characteristics, and approach to work (Lewis, 2011). As Generation Z now takes its rightful place in the workforce, it could be reasonably argued, that all generations have the potential to shape business success, support collaborative working; facilitate shared learning and enable the building of strong and effective working relationships.
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