Final Reseatch Paper

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Obesity In African American Adults
Kayla Smith
Delaware Technical Community College
Nursing Department, NUR 400-600
Ms.Pini
November 27, 2022

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Introduction
When I envision my future as a nurse leader, I envision an environment with open
communication and trust with my staff. The key to patient satisfaction is through staff
satisfaction. The leadership theory that will help me become the nurse leader I want to be is the
transformational leadership theory.
Nurse Leader
In the past, nurse leaders in acute settings were directors of nursing (DON). Hospital
administration, HCO planning, and budgets were areas nurse leaders had limited interaction
with. Nurse leaders focus was patient care and advance degrees were not necessary to hold those
position (Finkelman,2020, p.20). “Gradually the nurse leader began to interact more with
hospital administration and assumed more responsibility for the nurse department planning and
budget” (Finkelman, 2020, p.21). Focusing on the bigger picture, nurse leader’s main goal is the
improvement of nursing practice and outcomes. With a less hands-on approach, nurse leaders
collaborate to create operational goals and budgets (Management, 2021). Furthermore, nurse
leaders ensure organization standards, medical, ethical, and professional, are upheld
(Management, 2021). On the road to becoming a nurse leader, I will continue lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning is through on the job experience and formal education. After I complete my
BSN, I will apply to a master program to continue the process of becoming a nurse leader.
Transformational Leadership Theory
“Transformational leadership is a theory or style that focuses on the need for leaders who
are willing to embrace change, reward staff, guide staff members in understanding their roles
within the organization, and the importance of a positive work environment, and work towards
developing a self-aware staff that is able to take risks to improve” (Finkelman, 2020, p.17). Also,
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transformational leaders are charismatic, role models who create an inspiring vision for
employees to not only achieve their goal but the organizations as well. They motivate employees
to set and achieve higher level goals, while individually guiding each member (Steinmann et al.,
2018). An online survey was studied to investigate links between proactive behavior focused on
the goal setting process, employees work attitudes, and transformational leadership (Steinmann
et al., 2018). “By demonstrating confidence in their follower’s capability, increasing
opportunities for them to significantly affect their work, and providing instrumental and
emotional support, transformational leaders lead employees to further perceive these goals to be
attainable” (Steinmann et al., 2018). As a nurse leader my goal is to Promote self-confidence and
independent decision making in my employees. Employees will be satisfied having an input in
decision making and the confidence to make those decisions.
Patient satisfaction and Transformational Leaders
Transformational leadership style improves Staff job satisfaction thus increasing patient
safety outcomes. In Ontario, 378 acute care nurses completed a cross-sectional survey (Boamah
et al., 2018). The results were “Transformational leadership had a strong positive influence on
workplace empowerment, which in turn increased nurses job satisfaction and decreased the
frequency of adverse patient outcomes” (Boamah et al., 2018). Being a transformational leader
has decreased adverse patient outcomes in Ontario, proving the theory is best for nurse leaders.
Advocacy
A major component of being a nurse leader and transformational leader is advocacy.
Nurses advocate for patients, themselves, and other staff members. Advocacy is essential to
providing excellent patient care and being an effective leader. Advocacy has two important parts:
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“(1) providing information that is useful to the patient and, (2) supporting the patient’s decision,
which may not be the decision the nurse thinks is best but nonetheless must be supported”
(Finkelman, 2020, p.363). Problem solving, communication, influence, and collaboration are
skills an advocate should possess (Tomajan, 2012).
Conclude
My goal is to be an effective nurse leader that follows the transformational leadership
theory. Being a new nurse, I am still learning a lot about myself and the nursing profession.
Working in home health I advocate for clients regularly. I’ve advocated for a client who wanted
to discontinue their tube feed since they could eat pureed meals; advocated, and collaborated
with a physician for a client to receive a natural treatment vs the one prescribed, etc. Gaining
experience in a hospital setting would increase my clinical, advocacy and collaboration skills.
Formal and inform learning/education will increase my professional development and keep me
updated on new medical technology/devices.

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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May 17). Adult obesity facts. Retrieved
November 22, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html#:~:text=Non
%2DHispanic%20Black%20adults%20(49.9,Hispanic%20Asian%20adults%20(16.1%25).
Cuevas, A. G., O'Brien, K., & Saha, S. (2016). African American experiences in healthcare:
“I always feel like I’m getting skipped over”. Health Psychology, 35(9), 987–995.
https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000368
Ghosh-Dastidar, B., Cohen, D., Hunter, G., Zenk, S. N., Huang, C., Beckman, R., &
Dubowitz, T. (2014, September 10). Distance to store, food prices, and obesity in urban
food deserts. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved November 20, 2022,
from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25217097/
Knox-Kazimierczuk, F., Geller, K., Sellers, S., Taliaferro Baszile, D., & Smith-Shockley,
M. (2017). African American Women and Obesity through the Prism of Race. Health
Education & Behavior, 45(3), 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198117721610
Oates, G. R., Phillips, J. M., Bateman, L. B., Baskin, M. L., Fouad, M. N., & Scarinci, I. C.
(2018). Determinants of Obesity in Two Urban Communities: Perceptions and
Community-Driven Solutions. Ethnicity & Disease, 28(1), 33–42.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/48668370

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1

Obesity In African American Adults

Delaware Technical Community College

Nursing Department, NUR 400-600

November 27, 2022

When I envision my future as a nurse leader, I envision an environment with open

transformational leadership theory.

Transformational Leadership Theory

et al., 2018). “By demonstrating confidence in their follower’s capability, increasing

independent decision making in my employees. Employees will be satisfied having an input in

decision making and the confidence to make those decisions.

Patient satisfaction and Transformational Leaders

A major component of being a nurse leader and transformational leader is advocacy.

skills an advocate should possess (Tomajan, 2012).

My goal is to be an effective nurse leader that follows the transformational leadership

updated on new medical technology/devices.

November 22, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html#:~:text=Non

Education & Behavior, 45(3), 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198117721610

(2018). Determinants of Obesity in Two Urban Communities: Perceptions and

Community-Driven Solutions. Ethnicity & Disease, 28(1), 33–42.

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