There really is no one type of management that is ideal for a nursing home, especially since it is entirely dependent on the operations manager.
Keep in mind that, although every nursing home will undoubtedly possess one dominant leadership style, they may employ more than one based on the circumstances. To discover a leadership style, the manager should self-reflect as well as consult those connected to them.
After determining which one best suits them and their business, it is time to investigate and fully comprehend that style. Employees of a nursing home, from professional nurses to CNAs to the activity director, require an efficient management style to ensure that the facility operates properly.
Nursing home managers operate as the resident’s main counsel, acting as the resident’s contact point between doctors and nurses. Nursing home managers ensure that doctors and nurses attend to residents on a constant schedule as well as convey directions and results as necessary from both stakeholders.
Different Management Styles in Nursing Homes
As previously stated, there isn’t any one type of management that is preferable for a nursing home. Nonetheless, nursing home leadership styles are classified as follows:
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Transactional management
Transactional management is a style of management that concentrates on the connection between the leader and the follower. Once this is used in nursing home management, the leader establishes demands and provides appropriate sanctions and rewards.
Employees are motivated by incentives (financial remuneration, t-shirts, trophies, gift cards, etc.) that start encouraging quality and productivity standards. Whenever there is an evident sequence of authority and well-defined accountabilities, this sort of nursing home management fits brilliantly.
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Transformative/transformational management
Transformative/transformational management is a style of nursing home administration that emphasizes the leader’s capacity to encourage workers. Whenever this style is used, the nursing home manager establishes a direction for the facility as well as encourages workers to function toward these coordinated care aims, which could be monitored utilizing care plan software.
This leadership style works best when there is a need for change in the nursing home and employee participation plays an essential role in the success of that change. Transformative leaders are able to inspire workers around a common cause and ensure that they understand the nursing home goals as their own.
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The Bonoma–Slevin leadership model
The Bonoma–Slevin leadership model combines aspects of transactional and transformational leadership. This model examines the amount of input that nursing home management receives from nurses and other staff as well as how much leaders act on staff suggestions.
Some leeway is accounted for, allowing leaders to select the best employee ideas while rejecting others based on their own knowledge.
As a matter of fact, leaders could indeed gather useful information from their workers in order to deliver more person-centered care based on factual floor situations. Leaders are classified into four styles according to the Bonoma-Slevin management approach:
- The consensus manager
This is a sort of nursing home manager who mainly depends on contributions from nursing staff as well as other staff members. Workers are empowered to provide constructive criticism, recommendations, and viewpoints to this leader. They as well motivate “team decision-making” to improve the clinic’s culture.
Nevertheless, numerous schools of thought oppose this managerial style since they are concerned that a single individual could sidetrack the entire decision-making procedure by attempting to push their own interests.
- The consultative autocrat
A consultative autocrat is a form of nursing home manager who accepts workers’ ideas and viewpoints but doesn’t permit them to make final decisions.
The consultative autocrat is widely considered to be the most efficient sort of nursing home leader because of their capability to make rapid and well-informed choices while scanning out terrible recommendations through their knowledge and experience.
- A shareholder manager
This type of manager doesn’t really take an active role or set standards for employees. Rather, he or she delegates duties and encouraged worker independence.
- The autocrat
An autocrat is a nursing home leader who tends to make all decisions without consulting staff members. This leader does not solicit suggestions or opinions from employees and does not allow team decision-making.
Since it discourages workers from having to feel connected in nursing home management, autocratic leadership is more often regarded as the least efficient. It also restricts employee autonomy and therefore can breed discontent in the nursing home workplace.
Conclusion
Indeed, knowing the various management styles and which would be ideal for your team is essential for becoming an excellent leader in this profession.
The most essential factor nursing home managers need to keep in mind is the fact that when it relates to nursing home management styles, there isn’t any one-size-fits-all remedy. Take into account the needs of the staff as well as the ethos of your nursing home to ascertain which style would perform effectively in your nursing home.