The Human Factor

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Competence and caring are hallmarks of the professional nurse, particularly for those involved in direct patient care. Additional skills that are critical come to mind when we consider both the clinical and management roles. These include cooperation, collaboration, and communication. These basic skills are required by all practitioners, yet recently greater emphasis is being placed on a more humane type of management. In February, an article in the Palm Beach Post stated that more business schools are adding courses that focus on the qualitative side of management.

The competent, skilled, and expert nurse manager/leader in her field is still highly valued, but without warmth, sensitivity, and genuine caring, the results are often less than satisfactory. We take for granted that the clinical nurse has and practices these attributes. They are valued greatly by patients and families, but balancing tough administrative decisions with humane understanding of the issues facing staff is often an arduous undertaking. Completing tasks at the expense of our greatest asset, people, is unwise, costly, and demoralizing.

Understanding the values and cultural differences between and among groups is essential to good management. Honoring those differences and garnering them to good use for the mission and to achieve positive outcomes for the organization is a continuous learning challenge, and accomplishing it is sheer genius. Truly believing and modeling the value that each employee brings to the workplace and ensuring that the dignity of each employee is honored is the mark of a great leader. One term used for this type of leader goes beyond transformational; it speaks to the ideal of servant leadership.

It is often far more comfortable to revert to task accomplishment, particularly in times of crises or budget constraints. We can often make short-term decisions regarding how to address current issues that produce short-term results, but analyzing the potential of these decisions and the long-term impact is equally if not more important for the ultimate benefit of the organization.

Being and sharing our humanity with others is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength of character, a sure sign of positive self-esteem, and an acknowledgment of the value each employee contributes to the workplace. Practicing humanity and generating honest warmth produce great results for the employee, the organization, and the leader.