Finding the Balance in Nursing Education Management

1. Finding the Balance in Nursing Education Management Dr Sharon Vasuthevan NEA Conference NMMU – 15 November 2006

2. Change, Change and more Change!!!! • Legislation • Workplace practices • Human resources • Technology • Funding

3. Definition of major change PERSONAL shifts in values, aspirations and behaviours Usually accompanied by: ORGANISATIONAL shifts in processes, strategies, practices and systems

4. Future State Change is disruptive • Control becomes an issue • Fears are raised • Opportunities seen Current State Future way of working The way people work now

5. And challenging • Threatens/Disrupts person’s: • Competence • Confidence • Comfort • Control • Capacity

6. Legislation • South African Qualifications Authority Act • Skills Development Act • Employment Equity Act • Higher Education Act • General & Further Education & Training Act • Nursing Act

7. Strategies • Higher Education Plan • Skills Development Strategy • Human Resource Development Strategy • Further Education & Training Certificate • General Education & Training Certificate

8. "The best of times and the worst of times". • Employers are being sold on training due the skills shortage in the country. • Virtual consensus amongst executives that learning must be a major factor in their ongoing strategies for business success

9. Quality of Solution Quality of Implementation Focus on the solution Success

10. Times - Nursing Education Past Nursing Education Highly regulated Predictable Standardized Single ETQA Current New legislation Multiple ETQAs Disorganized Unpredictable Challenging Future ?

11. Balancing Act for Managers Physical Resources Regulating Authorities Staff Learners Employer needs Programmes Legislation Financial control Research Human resources demands Clinical resources

12. Focus • Focus on what you are doing in your present job - Passion will shine through • Your performance will lead you to your next job - Don’t think about your next job • People will want to take a chance on you because of your performance

13. Leader Creates something new Sees what others don’t see See possibilities/take risks Manager Organize Process Work hard Mitigate risks Leader versus Manager

14. 21st Century Leadership Changes • Information is no longer power. • No longer barriers of time, access and wealth • Technology can unlock human potential – empower people • Once every process becomes digital, virtual, mobile and personal – anyone can lead • Role of authority is different

15. Leadership • Requires moving beyond subject matter experts • Leaders can access SMEs to figure it out • Most SMEs like to share their knowledge and opinions – Ask for help 2. Requires understanding that common sense and logic are important – • Never underestimate the power of the right question, common sense and logic

16. Leadership (cont) 3. The ability to provide a suitable alternative • Criticism, problem identification are easier • Suggesting alternatives and solutions are difficult 4. Overcoming FEAR • Scary to lead – risk taking • Many people have the potential to lead – few take it – most of them are afraid to take a risk or make a stand • Leadership happens in big ways and small ways - in a family, community, city, country, field of work

17. Leadership (cont) 5. Leadership requires TRUST • People you are leading put their trust in you • Leadership cannot happen alone • When you trust people, they can succeed you, betray you or assist you. • Trust determines success or failure 6.Requires BALANCE • Balance is the art of leadership • Not valued very much –swing between the extremes • Balance between profit and growth – business

18. Universal Balance Points • Optimism and realism • Leaders have to be optimistic • Ability to know that things will change for the better • Opposites – Pessimists(worse), Cynics(no faith), Sceptics( fence sitters) • Reaism is understanding the barriers, SWOT, difficulties • Unrealistic leaders will not succeed or achieve the goal

19. Universal Balance Points 2. Consistency & Flexibility • Consistency is about predicatability,people know what the leader believes in and wants to achieve • Goals do not change frequently • Flexibility – things happen e.g. sailing, you do not sail in a straight line, we tack. • Leaders can change the path or change the tactics

20. Universal Balance Points 3. Confidence & humility • Confidence that you can make a difference – take a risk • Humility – you cannot do it alone • Leaders don’t know everything. Know what you know and what you don’t know. • Best leaders are those who surround themselves with people who are different to themselves – complicated – but there will be a better outcome – different thinking!

21. Leaders are Present • Effective leaders bring all of themselves to the job • Understand the big picture and the detail • Cannot have big picture but not understand the detail • Execution without strategy is problematic • Strategy without execution is futile

22. Leadership requires an Internal Compass • Never sell your soul. No one can pay you back! • There will be many things to throw you off course • Leaders get lots of advice, but take decisions alone • Know who you are and what you believe in • Don’t make choices or trade offs that don’t feel right

23. Leadership & Authenticity • Leadership is not about style – all leadership styles work in different situations • Cannot fake it • Use your head, listen to your gut and heart • Ask the same of your followers • Be present in all of your job or tasks

24. Leadership is a Choice • Leadership is not about power, titles, pay cheques etc • It is a CHOICE that anyone can make • It is about raising people’s sights, making them see what they could not see and helping the achieve more than they thought possible

25. Leadership is…. • Focussing on possibilities • Capability • Collaboration • Character

26. Future Nurses Circle of Influence

27. If life is an auditorium, where are you sitting?

28. Seating • Front row – participating • Back row – detached • Middle row – sitting on the fence

29. In this generation of nursing education managers…….. Only the crazy will survive…… IQ + EQ + HUGG = MaD Intelligence + Emotional Intelligence + Huge Unbelievably Great Goals = Making a difference

30. Nursing Education – from…… Great Future Nursing Education What is inside the box? Good or OK Current Nursing Education • Attitude • Confidence • Will power • Commitment • Perceptions of yourself • Expectations • Perseverance • Goals

31. Which room are you in? Regeneration Complacency Chaos Denial Basement (or death)

32. BIG 5 • Choose a positive attitude • Understand the impact • Set HUGGS • Develop resilience • Take personal responsibility

33. Get Organized Information is power!

34. Create a forum for networking • Share current information • Lobby on nursing education issues • Establish your own professional website • Make representations to top level persons • Protect your interest • Encourage participation

35. Be at the cutting edge!

36. Get involved

37. Get involved • Present papers • Write about your experiences • Set high standards for yourself • Share success stories • Engage in research

38. Nursing: The Backbone of Healthcare We make the difference!

39. THANK YOU