NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX 5007 Leadership for Nursing Practice
Prof. Name
Date
Evaluating Leadership Practices to Address the Scenario
Application of Leadership Approaches in Performance Management
Addressing performance concerns in healthcare settings requires leadership strategies that balance accountability with support. In the case of Sarah Miller, two complementary leadership approaches—transformational and servant leadership—provide a structured foundation for behavioral and professional improvement.
Transformational leadership focuses on influencing staff through motivation, shared goals, and ethical accountability. It encourages leaders to clearly communicate expectations, reinforce professional standards, and connect individual performance to patient outcomes and organizational values (Gebreheat et al., 2023). In Sarah’s situation, this approach enables structured conversations about her responsibilities, clarifies performance gaps, and highlights the impact of her behavior on both residents and colleagues. This leadership style is particularly effective in correcting performance issues while simultaneously promoting professional development.
Servant leadership, in contrast, prioritizes employee support, development, and well-being. It emphasizes empathy, mentorship, and active listening to understand underlying challenges affecting performance (Demeke et al., 2024). Applying this approach to Sarah involves identifying barriers to her performance, offering continuous guidance, and fostering a supportive environment that encourages receptiveness to feedback. This dual focus on care and development strengthens her engagement while reinforcing a resident-centered care philosophy.
Standards of Professional Performance Violated
Identification of ANA Standard Breaches
Sarah Miller’s current performance reflects non-compliance with key standards outlined by the American Nurses Association (ANA), particularly in the areas of collaboration and quality of practice (ANA, 2020).
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
What professional standards has Sarah violated?
Sarah has not demonstrated adequate adherence to professional collaboration and quality of practice standards. Collaboration requires effective communication and teamwork to ensure safe, coordinated care delivery. However, her negative interactions and limited cooperation disrupt team cohesion, reducing efficiency and increasing the risk of care gaps.
Impact of documentation on quality of care
Accurate documentation is essential for continuity, safety, and clinical decision-making. Sarah’s inconsistent and incomplete documentation compromises communication among healthcare providers, increasing the likelihood of clinical errors and mismanagement. Additionally, failure to consistently implement safety protocols, such as fall prevention measures, places residents at elevated risk. Poor documentation also raises ethical and legal concerns within healthcare systems (Demsash et al., 2023).
Action Plan for Improving Employee Performance
Key Focus Areas for Improvement
A structured Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is required to address Sarah’s performance deficiencies systematically. The key improvement domains include:
- Resident engagement and communication quality
- Accuracy and completeness of clinical documentation
- Interprofessional collaboration and teamwork
- Compliance with patient safety and fall prevention protocols
These areas are directly linked to patient outcomes and organizational quality standards.
Interventions to Support Performance Improvement
Targeted interventions are designed to address each identified performance gap. Sarah will participate in structured professional development programs focusing on clinical documentation accuracy, teamwork enhancement through TeamSTEPPS, and evidence-based fall prevention strategies (Hassan et al., 2024).
In addition, mentorship will be introduced to provide continuous supervision, feedback, and professional guidance. Progress will be assessed over an eight-week monitoring period using structured evaluations and performance audits. This ensures accountability and allows timely adjustments to the improvement strategy.
Overall, this approach aligns with evidence supporting leadership-driven development models that improve care quality and staff performance (Ojo & Thiamwong, 2022).
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Table
| Performance Area | Key Issues Identified | Planned Interventions | Evaluation Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Care | Limited emotional engagement; reports of impersonal care | Communication and patient-centered care training | Weekly supervisory feedback and resident satisfaction surveys |
| Documentation | Incomplete and inconsistent clinical records | Documentation training and structured audits | Weekly chart audits over 8 weeks |
| Teamwork | Poor collaboration and negative peer interactions | TeamSTEPPS communication and teamwork training | Peer evaluations and team performance feedback |
| Resident Safety | Repeated near-fall incidents; weak preventive action | Fall prevention training and safety protocol reinforcement | Incident tracking and compliance monitoring |
Conclusion
The Performance Improvement Plan for Sarah Miller establishes a structured and evidence-based pathway for correcting performance deficiencies while promoting professional growth. By integrating transformational and servant leadership approaches with targeted training and continuous evaluation, the plan addresses core issues in communication, documentation, teamwork, and patient safety.
This comprehensive strategy not only supports individual development but also strengthens organizational outcomes by promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high-quality patient-centered care. Ultimately, the PIP reinforces the healthcare organization’s commitment to safety, excellence, and continuous improvement.
References
ANA. (2020). ANA principles. ANA. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/official-position-statements/ana-principles/
Demeke, G. K., Engen, M. van, & Markos, S. (2024). Servant leadership in the healthcare literature: A systematic review. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 16(16), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s440160
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
Demsash, A. W., Kassie, S. Y., Dubale, A. T., Chereka, A. A., Ngusie, H. S., Hunde, M. K., Emanu, M. D., Shibabaw, A. A., & Walle, A. D. (2023). Health professionals’ routine practice documentation and its associated factors in a resource-limited setting: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Health & Care Informatics, 30(1), e100699. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjhci-2022-100699
Gebreheat, G., Teame, H., & Costa, E. (2023). The impact of transformational leadership style on nurses’ job satisfaction: An integrative review. SAGE Open Nursing, 9(2). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23779608231197428
Hassan, A. E., Mohammed, F. A., Zakaria, A. M., & Ibrahim, I. A. (2024). Evaluating the effect of TeamSTEPPS on teamwork perceptions and patient safety culture among newly graduated nurses. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 170. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01850-y
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
Ojo, E. O., & Thiamwong, L. (2022). Effects of nurse-led fall prevention programs for older adults: A systematic review. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, 26(3), 417. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9432804/