Week 10 assignment

Nurse Leader Interviews Paper

Identify three nursing leaders you would like to interview for this paper. The nursing leaders may have a variety of leadership styles, but they must all currently hold positions of leadership.

Write a paper (1,000-1,250 words) that describes the results of the interviews and addresses the following:

Ask the leaders what they believe is their preferred leadership style and ask them to describe how that style has helped them achieve success.

Explain why you chose each individual leader.

Identify, compare, and contrast their styles and note any examples of servant or transformational leadership.

Identify missed opportunities or questions you wish you had asked during the interviews.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center

Prior to your interview, it is important to take the time to learn as much as possible about the organization and nursing department.  Carefully study the website so you know the mission, vision and range of services provided by the health care agency.  If the hospital or agency is part of a larger system, go to the systems website as well.  Review any publicly reported data available about the agency such as what is on the hospital compare care site in the United States.  Many nursing services today use specific theoretical frameworks such as Watson’s Caring theory to guide care – be familiar with it.  If the hospital is Magnet designated and you have not worked in a Magnet hospital, review the forces of magnetism. You will be expected to be prepared to speak to the role of leadership in promoting a healthy work environment.

2.  Request a copy of the position description, the organizational chart and information about how the interview will be structured in advance.

You should know in advance what the position expectations are and information about the reporting structure in the organization.  This will allow you to carefully consider whether this position is a good fit for your current skill set and what competencies you may need to develop.  It is important that you also know how the interview will be conducted and who will be involved.  Many leadership interviews are conducted by panels.  Ask if staff are involved in the interview and whether a tour of the department will be part of your interview agenda.  Seeing the level of involvement of staff, the physical layout of unit and how you are greeted during a tour of the area will help you to better understand the unit culture.

3.  Anticipate what types of questions you will asked.

Leadership interviews are different than interviews for staff level positions.  You can expect to be asked questions directly related to leadership competencies so it is important to know what those competencies might include.  The NMLCInventory is a good document to review to better understand leadership competencies.  Many organizations today use performance-based or behavioral interviewing techniques.  In this type of interview, you will be asked very pointed questions  and given leadership scenarios related to the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the position.  You could be given a scenario that involved a conflict situation and asked the steps that you would use to resolve it.  You may be asked to describe a situation where you did not use effective communication and how you would do it differently if it occurred again.  You might asked how you manage your stress or to identify your leadership weaknesses.  You will be asked about your own leadership style so carefully think about how you will respond to this.  You should be prepared to give honest, authentic answers to a wide range of questions.  Asking someone in a leadership role to do a trial run interview with you would be excellent preparation.

4.  Develop your own list of questions to ask about the position and organization.

Come to the interview with your own list of questions about the position.  If this is your first leadership role, ask about what type of leadership development and mentoring is offered, and what the leadership challenges are in the organization.  Prepare questions to determine information about the budget, staffing, current performance on customer satisfaction surveys and other indicators. Ask questions about the patient population served, their needs and their health problems.  Ask about the unit culture, what is important to staff and any specific areas where improvement is needed.  Always have at least one or two questions when you are asked about questions that you have even if the interview has been thorough.

5.  Ask about the timeline for selection and the follow-up process.

Prior to leaving the interview, you will want to know what the follow-up process will be.  You may be asked to come back for a second interview so don’t be surprised if this happens.  Ask when a decision will be made about the position, and who you can contact if you have questions.  Get business cards from everyone that you meet with during the interview process so you can send follow-up thank you notes or emails.