Explore strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in Essay

Explore strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people .Challenging Practice, S - Essay Example Within the healthcare sector, the care of older adults is often filled with discriminatory practices, mostly in relation to the fact that they are no longer productive members of society and that their life expectancy is low (Katz, et.al., 2012). It is therefore common to witness the negative approaches that healthcare givers manifest towards older adults. The government through the Department of Health also believes that these patients are too old to engage in health promotion strategies (NMC, 2008). In general therefore, these older adults are often subjected to abuse in the health care system. Under these conditions, I have discovered the importance of reporting the abuse and neglect of these patients. This topic shall assess strategies that nurses can adopt in order to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people. I chose this topic because I want to increase my knowledge in effective ways, to challenge the practice and in turn, improve the services offered to these patients. Health inequalities include age discrimination, budget cuts for older adult care, neglect, as well as not being treated with dignity and respect (NMC, 2008). The Nursing and Midwifery Code (2008) specifies that older adults must not be discriminated against in their healthcare; instead, they must be treated with dignity and respect. ... This paper shall now explore the strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people. Body In the effective management of elderly adults, relevant leadership theories include the trait theory, situational-contingency theory, and the transformational theory (Taylor, 2009). The trait theory discusses how leaders are often born with the traits they need in order to be good and effective leaders. Moreover, this theory also suggests that there are specific personalities and behaviour which make the person a good leader (Taylor, 2009). Qualities like assertiveness, confidence, intelligence, as well as sociability are therefore essential skills allowing natural leaders to emerge (Curtis, et.al., 2011). Leaders are born, according to the trait theory and specific behaviour and qualities in individuals are needed in order to ensure effective leadership (Curtis, et.al., 2011). Another theory relevant in nursing leadership is the situational-contingenc y theory. Based on this theory, leaders evaluate specific situations and their actions would be based on these situations they face (Bolden, et.al., 2003). Under these conditions, the situation, the leader, and the follower are part of the theory. For situational leadership, there is a recognition of the fact that there is no single type of leadership which can work for every situation or person, and that leadership is based on the specific qualities of the situation (Taylor, 2009). In some cases, an autocratic leadership may work well, especially under emergency conditions; however, in other instances, the more democratic style of leadership may work better. Finally, transformational theory may also apply