Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX 5007 Leadership for Nursing Practice
Prof. Name
Date
Performance Improvement Plan Development
Effective leadership and performance management are essential for ensuring high-quality patient care and fostering a supportive work environment (Huang et al., 2024). At Serenity Senior Care, a facility dedicated to empowering older adults with compassionate, respectful care, concerns have emerged regarding the professional conduct of Sarah Miller, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). As the newly appointed nurse manager, I am responsible for developing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) that addresses these concerns, aligns with the facility’s mission, and supports Sarah’s professional development.
Sarah has served at Serenity Senior Care for five years, demonstrating loyalty and experience. However, recent observations indicate lapses in professional standards, including poor collaboration with peers, incomplete documentation, impersonal interactions with residents, and safety oversights. These issues have prompted concerns among staff and residents alike. The purpose of the PIP is to rectify these gaps while creating a sustainable pathway for Sarah to succeed professionally and contribute positively to the organization.
The performance improvement strategy will integrate transformational and servant leadership principles. Transformational leadership promotes growth through mutual respect and engagement, enabling Sarah to participate in goal-setting and understand the broader impact of her role (Gebreheat et al., 2023). Meanwhile, servant leadership emphasizes supporting Sarah’s development by prioritizing her professional needs, fostering empathy, and providing guidance (Demeke et al., 2024). This combined approach encourages meaningful behavior change and aligns Sarah’s performance with Serenity’s standards.
Evaluating Leadership Practices to Address the Scenario
Addressing Sarah’s performance challenges requires leadership interventions that foster both accountability and professional growth. The combination of transformational and servant leadership is particularly effective in healthcare settings where compassion, collaboration, and responsibility are core values.
Transformational leadership inspires employees to exceed expectations by clarifying goals and sharing a collective vision. In practice, this involves scheduling a one-on-one session with Sarah to review her responsibilities, clarify management expectations, and discuss how her performance impacts resident care and team morale. This method ensures that Sarah understands the reasoning behind performance improvements and feels motivated to engage in change.
Servant leadership complements this by prioritizing the staff member’s growth and well-being. By offering support rather than criticism, Sarah can openly discuss her challenges and receive constructive feedback. This approach encourages her to adopt a sense of responsibility for both residents and colleagues. Compassion-driven leadership aligns with Serenity’s mission, reinforcing the importance of resident-centered care while cultivating a positive work environment.
Table 1: Application of Leadership Practices
| Leadership Style | Focus Area | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transformational | Inspire accountability and growth | Enhances self-awareness and motivation to meet performance goals |
| Servant | Support staff development | Builds trust, openness to feedback, and learning engagement |
Implementing these leadership strategies creates a culture of respect and professional growth, helping Sarah align her performance with organizational values and expectations.
Standards of Professional Performance Violated
Sarah’s current conduct violates key professional standards established by the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2020), specifically collaboration and quality of practice. These breaches compromise resident safety, disrupt team cohesion, and threaten continuity of care.
The collaboration standard highlights mutual respect, teamwork, and shared responsibility among healthcare professionals. Sarah’s reluctance to participate in team discussions and her dismissive behavior hinder communication and cooperation.
The quality of practice standard emphasizes complete documentation and adherence to safety protocols. Sarah’s incomplete charting and inconsistent fall prevention measures compromise resident care and expose the organization to liability. These issues also contradict Serenity’s mission of providing compassionate, resident-centered care.
Table 2: Identified Performance Gaps
| Category | Observed Issue | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Care | Task-focused, impersonal approach | Diminishes residents’ emotional well-being |
| Documentation | Incomplete or inaccurate records | Hinders care continuity and increases risk of errors |
| Teamwork | Resistant to collaboration | Disrupts unit cohesion and morale |
| Resident Safety | Frequent near-miss falls | Indicates failure to implement proper fall prevention measures |
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
These performance deficiencies affect the facility’s commitment to dignified, compassionate care. Research indicates that empathy and attentiveness in caregiving improve patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and workplace culture (Malenfant et al., 2022). Additionally, neglecting documentation and safety protocols increases legal and ethical risks (Demsash et al., 2023).
Considering Sarah’s tenure, it is possible that factors such as burnout, personal stress, or workplace pressures may contribute to her current performance. A balanced and empathetic assessment will help identify whether additional support or interventions are needed.
Action Plan for Improving Employee Performance
To address the identified gaps, a structured action plan has been developed, focusing on enhancing Sarah’s competency in compassionate care, documentation, teamwork, and safety while supporting her professional growth.
Performance Expectations and Training
| Domain | Expectation | Training / Support |
|---|---|---|
| Compassionate Care | Provide empathetic, individualized care | Mentorship and reflective journaling |
| Documentation | Complete accurate, detailed records | Documentation workshop; one-month review (Demsash et al., 2023) |
| Team Collaboration | Respect colleagues, communicate positively | TeamSTEPPS training (Hassan et al., 2024) |
| Safety Measures | Implement fall prevention strategies | Two-week fall prevention course (Ojo & Thiamwong, 2022) |
A senior nurse mentor will provide weekly guidance, review challenges, and support Sarah’s growth. Additionally, weekly meetings with the nurse manager will offer feedback, reinforce expectations, and monitor progress.
Timeline and Milestones
| Time Frame | Activity |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Initial goal-setting meeting; begin documentation and fall prevention training |
| Weeks 2–4 | Complete fall prevention and TeamSTEPPS training; initiate mentoring and feedback sessions |
| Weeks 5–8 | Continue documentation review; reinforce teamwork and collaboration skills |
| End of Week 8 | Final performance review: assess documentation, collaboration, resident care, and safety practices |
This structured plan ensures that Sarah improves in critical domains, enhancing resident outcomes, strengthening team relationships, and maintaining a safe care environment (Ojo & Thiamwong, 2022). Adjustments, such as extended timelines or additional coaching, may be necessary if initial interventions do not achieve the expected results.
Conclusion
The proposed Performance Improvement Plan provides a comprehensive framework to address Sarah Miller’s professional deficiencies while promoting her growth within Serenity Senior Care’s culture. By defining clear expectations, offering structured mentorship and training, and implementing measurable performance goals, this plan aligns Sarah’s performance with the facility’s mission. Ultimately, this approach benefits Sarah’s professional development, improves resident care experiences, and strengthens team cohesion, creating a sustainable positive impact on the organization.
References
American Nurses Association. (2020). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th ed.). American Nurses Association.
Demeke, M. T., Tadesse, D. B., & Ayalew, M. (2024). Servant leadership and organizational commitment among nurses: A systematic review. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01078-6
Demsash, A. W., Tadesse, M., & Getahun, M. T. (2023). The role of clinical documentation in patient safety: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 38(2), 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000624
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
Gebreheat, T. B., Abera, G. B., & Yimer, H. M. (2023). Transformational leadership and its influence on healthcare quality improvement. International Journal of Health Governance, 28(4), 312–321. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-09-2022-0084
Hassan, M., Yusuf, N., & Khalid, R. (2024). Impact of TeamSTEPPS training on interprofessional communication and collaboration. Journal of Healthcare Management, 69(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1097/JHM-D-23-00012
Huang, Y., Li, X., & Chen, J. (2024). Leadership effectiveness in long-term care facilities: A systematic literature review. Leadership in Health Services, 37(1), 22–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-08-2023-0058
Malenfant, J., Newton, A. S., & Hartling, L. (2022). Compassion in healthcare: A critical review of interventions and outcomes. BMJ Open, 12(6), e060924. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060924
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader
Ojo, T., & Thiamwong, L. (2022). Impact of fall prevention strategies in long-term care: Evidence from a quasi-experimental study. Geriatric Nursing, 43, 104–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.02.004