NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 5007 Leadership for Nursing Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Performance Improvement Plan Development

Effective leadership and performance management are key components in delivering quality patient care and sustaining a supportive work culture (Huang et al., 2024). At Serenity Senior Care, a facility dedicated to empowering older adults with compassionate, respectful care, concerns have arisen regarding the professional conduct of Sarah Miller, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). As the newly appointed nurse manager, I am tasked with developing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) to address these concerns, ensure alignment with the facility’s mission, and support Sarah’s continued professional growth.

Sarah has been a part of Serenity Senior Care for five years, indicating a level of commitment and capability. However, recent reports suggest deviations from expected standards, including poor collaboration, incomplete documentation, impersonal care, and safety oversights. These issues have raised alarm among both peers and residents. The performance improvement plan aims not only to correct these deficiencies but to position Sarah for long-term success within the organization.

The approach to performance enhancement will be centered on transformational and servant leadership strategies. Transformational leadership encourages change through mutual respect and support, allowing Sarah to be involved in setting expectations and understanding the impact of her role (Gebreheat et al., 2023). By fostering this environment, I can reinforce Sarah’s accountability while offering the tools needed for her to succeed. Complementing this, the servant leadership style prioritizes Sarah’s needs as a caregiver, promoting professional development through empathy and guidance (Demeke et al., 2024). This holistic method helps create a sustainable path for behavior change and professional alignment with Serenity’s standards.

Evaluating Leadership Practices to Address the Scenario

In response to Sarah’s performance issues, leadership intervention must be tailored to encourage both responsibility and personal growth. A combination of transformational and servant leadership methods is especially effective in a healthcare setting that values compassion, collaboration, and accountability.

Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring change by encouraging staff to exceed expectations through shared goals and vision. Applying this in practice, I would arrange a one-on-one meeting with Sarah to clearly outline her job responsibilities, the expectations from management, and how her performance affects resident care and team morale. With this approach, Sarah will understand the rationale behind the changes and feel more inclined to improve.

Servant leadership complements this by focusing on serving the needs of staff, allowing Sarah to feel supported rather than criticized. This leadership style creates an environment where Sarah can openly address her challenges and be receptive to feedback. The goal is to instill a sense of responsibility not only to the facility but also to her colleagues and the residents she serves. Compassionate leadership teaches her to place the welfare of others at the core of her practice, which aligns with Serenity’s mission.

Table 1: Application of Leadership Practices

Leadership Style	Focus Area	Expected Impact
Transformational	Inspire accountability and growth	Enhances Sarah’s self-awareness and performance goals
Servant	Support staff development	Builds trust and increases openness to feedback and learning

The strategic use of these leadership practices fosters a culture of respect and growth, helping Sarah adjust her behavior and performance to match the organization’s standards and values.

Standards of Professional Performance Violated

Sarah’s actions have breached specific standards outlined by the American Nurses Association (ANA), notably collaboration and quality of practice (ANA, 2020). These violations undermine not only resident safety but also team cohesion and care continuity.

The collaboration standard emphasizes mutual respect, teamwork, and shared responsibility among healthcare professionals. Sarah’s reluctance to participate in team discussions and her negative attitude create a hostile environment, discouraging open communication and cooperation.

The quality of practice standard includes complete documentation and adherence to safety protocols. Sarah’s incomplete charting and oversight of fall prevention measures compromise resident care and expose the facility to liability. These concerns reflect a broader misalignment with Serenity’s core values.

Table 2: Identified Performance Gaps

Category	Observed Issue	Impact
Resident Care	Task-focused care, lack of warmth	Negatively affects residents’ emotional well-being
Documentation	Incomplete and inaccurate records	Impairs care continuity and increases risk of errors
Teamwork	Resistance to collaboration, dismissive communication	Disrupts unit cohesion and morale
Resident Safety	Frequent near-falls under her supervision	Signals insufficient implementation of fall prevention protocols

These performance deficits conflict directly with Serenity’s mission to offer compassionate, resident-centered care in a safe environment.

Sarah’s behavior undermines the facility’s commitment to respectful, dignified elder care. Her impersonal interactions contradict the essential values of empathy and attentiveness. Research confirms that compassion significantly enhances patient satisfaction, outcomes, and workplace culture (Malenfant et al., 2022). Further, her disregard for safety measures and proper documentation compromises legal compliance and endangers patient welfare (Demsash et al., 2023).

Given her tenure, it is plausible that external stressors such as burnout or personal issues may be affecting her performance. A fair and empathetic evaluation will help discern whether support systems or further interventions are needed. The performance improvement plan will account for these possibilities while remaining outcome-focused and mission-aligned.

Action Plan for Improving Employee Performance

To address these performance gaps effectively, a structured action plan has been created. The focus is on aligning Sarah’s conduct with Serenity Senior Care’s mission, ensuring her development in critical competency areas: compassionate care, documentation, teamwork, and safety.

Performance Expectations and Training

Domain	Expectation	Training/Support
Compassionate Care	Engage residents with empathy and personalized interactions	Mentorship and reflective journaling
Documentation	Complete accurate, detailed records for every shift	Documentation workshop and one-month review (Demsash et al., 2023)
Team Collaboration	Respect team input, use positive communication	TeamSTEPPS training (Hassan et al., 2024)
Safety Measures	Apply fall prevention strategies, conduct safety checks	Two-week fall prevention course (Ojo & Thiamwong, 2022)

Each area includes structured training, regular assessments, and mentorship to ensure consistent improvement.

A senior nurse will be assigned as Sarah’s mentor. This mentor will meet weekly with her to review challenges, discuss progress, and provide encouragement. Additionally, Sarah will meet with the nurse manager weekly for feedback and strategic guidance. These meetings aim to foster personal growth, align performance with expectations, and ensure a sustainable improvement trajectory.

Timeline and Milestones

Time Frame	Activity
Week 1	Initial meeting to set goals; begin documentation and fall prevention training
Weeks 2–4	Complete fall prevention training and TeamSTEPPS; start weekly mentoring and feedback sessions
Weeks 5–8	Continue documentation review; reinforce collaboration training based on assessment outcomes
End of Week 8	Final performance review: assess documentation, team interactions, and resident care approach

With these interventions, Sarah is expected to demonstrate improvements across all domains. Enhanced documentation will support care continuity, teamwork will foster better staff relationships, and a compassionate approach will enrich resident experiences. Fall prevention strategies will further enhance safety and reduce risks, improving overall facility outcomes (Ojo & Thiamwong, 2022).

The plan assumes that Sarah is willing to change and that necessary training resources are available. Should these assumptions not hold, alternative strategies—such as more intensive coaching or adjusted timelines—may be considered.

Conclusion

This comprehensive performance improvement plan provides a clear framework for addressing Sarah Miller’s deficiencies while promoting her growth within the organizational culture of Serenity Senior Care. By outlining expectations, offering structured support, and implementing measurable goals, the plan aims to align her performance with Serenity’s mission of providing compassionate, safe, and collaborative care. This structured approach not only benefits Sarah’s professional journey but also enhances resident outcomes and strengthens team dynamics across the facility.

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

NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader

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

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

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

NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 2 Managing the Toxic Leader