PUBH6004 Public Health Professional Assignment Sample

Leadership and Effecting Change in Public Health

Introduction to Public Health Professional

Leadership is a critical and most effective way of professionalism. The effective and efficient running of public health organizations can be easily done through leadership qualitatively. Leadership is a quality that helps other people or colleagues to equip, train, and influence people through leaders' abilities and skills (Modie, 2016). In public health organizations, leadership determined a system approach inside the organization that offers leaders with the access to more resources to answer health challenges. The aim of this report is to shed some light on the critical aspects leadership with the help of case study of Helen. The report is focused on the critique theories, styles, and strategies of leadership in a public health and provides a characteristic of diversity on leadership. The report also evaluates the personnel leadership strength and addresses the improvements through public health leadership frameworks. 

Public Health Leadership: An Overview

Leadership is the practice of the action of leading a group of people or an organization. Leadership in any field may be a research area, corporate company, or any other field. There are various skills that encompass the ability of an individual to lead the other individuals, teams, or organizations (Yphantides, Escoborz & Macchione, 2015). Public health problems sometimes cause fascinating, frustrating, and inspiring and require public health leaders to engage multiple stakeholders in the activities (Carlton, Hollinger, Riddell & Brush, 2015). Health leaders strive to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life indicators, and the wellbeing of health system (Health workforce Australia, n.d.). The theories associated with public health are as follow:

• Servant leadership – it is the theory that suggests that to be a leader, one need to work as a servant (Frey, 2015). The servant-leader must know about emotional intelligence and may encourage passion in others working. According to Montgomery (2016), various core values make servant leadership an opportunity to fit in the healthcare system. The characterstics associated with servan leadership is prioritize service, share power, care provider and helping others.
• Transformational leader - transformational leadership theory emphasizes the people more effectively in the mission of the organization. The theory helps the leaders to communicate and aware of the vision of health in a meaningful way that creates motivation and empowerment in the region. Under the transformational theory, trust, mutual respect, support, and communication are the important core factors responsible for healthy relationship development (Frey, 2015). As in this case, the
• Meta leadership theory – the Meta leadership theory involves the implementation of communication information to its co-workers and the associated public organization to make their own informed decision (Frey, 2015). The Meta leadership theory helps in creating and enhancing dialogue between stakeholders, knowledge and experience sharing, help in simplifying the healthcare organization structure. The theory required the work environment of the organization in a manner that works is collaboratively toward the implementation of effective practices with respect to the patient (Frey, 2015).

Scenario of Public Health Leader

Australian public health system faces various challenges including increasing chronic disease burden, inferior health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders, the sustainability of the health workforce, and the complex nature of health system (Dawber, Crow, Hulcombe & Mickan, 2017).. However, health leaders show respect for all the people who use health services, their families, and communities and work in health services. Leadership requires reflection and improvement of self-fostering growth in and awakening others towards aligning decision and future goals (Dawber, Crow, Hulcombe & Mickan, 2017). Helen, a general practitioner, has to engage in community development in the context of sanitation, housing, immunization, health promotion, and infection control. She was aware that she has to work hard to establish close-knit communities with the ability to empower them to create their own environments. However, some pitfalls in her leadership are interfering in her working. She should have a good decision-making and vision development that is foremost important aspect of sustainable leadership. It will help in implementing new ideas, planning, and open discussion with the community member.

With this, Helen may demonstrate decision-making, communication, problem solving, and advocacy features as well. Helen is a shy personality and an introvert, she must obey the good practice to manage people and deal with their perspectives and belief. Managing conflict, mentoring, managing performance, negotiating, coaching, and mentoring are some of the key parameters for management (Frey, 2015). The community comprises of largely distinct and diverse people. Because of her nature, it is quite challenging for her to deal with the people. Helen is a expertise and have technical knowledge as she is a good practitioner, she quickly gather information, technical credibility, and valuation of the cases so as to implement a good health improvement strategy. Helen must cooperate with the people of the community and must put her decision strong with valid proof of technology.

This is easy for her as she is a good general practitioner and has a sound knowledge of promoting healthy communities. According to Lachane & Oxendine (2015) Emotional intelligence is another self-organization characteristic that is responsible for building leadership qualities. It includes self-regulation, self-awareness, time management and self-confidence. Emotional intelligence also demonstrates social skills and networking qualities that help leaders building relationships with others. Helen as a woman will be able to use emotional intelligence as a tool to implement her insight in providing health management to the community.

Self-Assessment Tool

Self-assessment tool is a effective approach that help one to rate herself in leadership qualities. I used to maintain the personal qualities in context to deliver efficient and effective work to accomplish the goals and objectives of the community. I develop self-awareness by reflecting my own values and beliefs on others wherever necessary, however, I seek feedback from others in relation to strength, weakness, limitations, and try to modify my implications pattern and behaviour accordingly if required. I manage myself through self- organization behaviour. Mostly, I remain calm and keep focus under pressure. Regularly, I plan my workload and deliver the commitments with high standards of continuing personnel development because of my quick learner and actively seeking opportunity to learn and develop. I am fond of applying my theoretical understanding on practical as well.

I will act with integrity as I actively involve myself in respecting people’s culture, beliefs, and abilities. If the values, ethics, or beliefs of any culture are on pinpoint or were harm, I actively speak on that as well. As a leader, I actively involved myself in proper working and implementing everyone’s view. I have a complex vision, delivering innovative ideas, and highly committed toward public health development. I used to develop networks through regularly identify opportunities to collaborate with others to add value to patient care and beliefs. However, I do not share the information across networks if the information is confidential, however, I am eager to aware people about maintain public health. I build and maintain relationships effectively, although I am an introvert and a shy personality, so it takes time for me to communicate effectively with others. However, I regularly listen to and take into consideration of other feelings and views.

I encourage contribution as it is one of the best qualities of leader to encourage the new thought for the development of community. I actively seek a contribution and views from others and try to implement them for current and future endeavour. Some of the time, I am comfortable enough to manage the conflicts; however, sometimes I take the help of my senior to solve the issue. As a leader, one should interact with each other effectively as it may help the leader to incorporate the new insights I put myself to lead the team with proper satisfaction from the team members on the last decision. I regularly acknowledge the efforts and input of other team members and try to give them a reward to respect their decision and input. As a leader, I actively involve myself in planning, managing resources, managing people, and managing their performance. These things help in proper working and execution of the plan so to provide sustainable public health. Proper management ensures the timely availability of resource, person, and equipment, that further help in maintaining the health of people and community.

Reflection of Public Health Professional

If I would be a young single woman in the given situation, firstly, I will always discuss the issue with my senior regarding the scepticism. Because, this is a major gap responsible for misrepresentation among policymakers, senior government stakeholders, and senior citizens in the community. Due to these, the leader will not be able to communicate with his/her views. Other than this, I will personally try to change the mindset of community people regarding their view on women working. The community is diverse with a multi-ethnic traditional belief that makes people difficult to change their views regarding women. However, by regularly interacting with them and ensuring them about the importance of health leaders, it may change the thinking of the people (Modie, 2016).

As the public health leader, I will ensure that people in the community may be senior citizens, children, women, men; must aware of public health and primary care. The awareness would be with respect to childcare immunization, chronic disease, a life-threatening health disorder such as cancer, tuberculosis, AIDS, and heart disease. The awareness would be through seminars, workshops, and training sessions; that may help community people to understand the health issue and save their life by adopting primary care tips. I will use the management skills to manage the people and the available resource to deliver safe and effective service within the allocated resource. 

I make sure that the safety of the patient, sufferers, or diseased Peron may not withstand. This can do by taking actions on the shortfall in patient safety. I will develop the professional collaboration team of doctors, caregivers, dieticians, and registered nurses so that proper communication must do in relation to treatment, healthcare facility, resource availability, incident, and prevalence of the disease. The professional team will also help in increasing awareness in the community in relation to immunization, sanitization, health maintenance, and first-aid implementation. These things help in vacillating transformation and encouraging improvement and innovative ideas for patient safety and maintaining public health.

I will incorporate the social, political, technical, economic, organizational, and professional bodies wherever necessary to meet the need for a change in the community. For instance, if there is a need for political organizations to implement health concerns. Then I will go to the political and government organization as a leader with the evidence of community health to impose some funds or any other help for maintaining public health. For this, I will also take help from key people such as seniors or top management when making the decision to make values and priorities of the service.

I will actively engage the public and people of the community to determine the objective, goal, and direction of community achievement with respect to the public health issues. I will take into account through perspectives, views, and their belief and address them with respect to future health and care services. These will develop self-confidence among the community members and generate respect among them to maintain health care in their community.

Conclusion on Public Health Professional

From the above, it can be concluded that the leader is must attain the professional leadership qualities that help in attaining public health. These considerations will help in developing the value, self-esteem, and enthusiasm among community members towards maintaining their health status and develop desire among them to upgrade their community health standard by adopting new ways of leader’s view. Moreover, good leader qualities help the community to save their live and maintain the higher health standard within the community. Along with this, leader must be open minded so as to adapt the environment and do the needful for the betterment of the society. Like in this case, Helen is an introvert and shy, thus is unable to cope with the community demands and unable to discuss the issues. This further effect the working, management, and implementation of leader in the community.

Reference for Public Health Professional

Boyce, R. & Jackway, P. (2016). Allied health leaders: Australian public sector health boards and to management teams. Retrieved from https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/Api/downloadmedia/%7B7605D12C-8B4A-418F-B209-8FB1600060A1%7D

Carlton, E., Holsinger, J., Ridddell, M., & Bush, H. (2015). Full range public health leadership, part2:Qualitative analysis and synthesis. Front Public Health, 3, 1-10.

Dawber, J., Crow, N., Hulcombe, J., & Mickan, S. (2017). A realist review of allied health management in Queensland health: What works, in which contexts and why. Retrieved from: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/691431/ah-mgmt-in-qh.pdf

Frey, S. (2015). An overview of leadership principles and theories. Retrieved from https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/pubhhmp6615/chapter/what-is-leadership-theory-and-practice/

HealthWorkforce Australia. (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.v2.i3-uat.nz/assets/Uploads/health-leads-australia-leadership-framework3.pdf

Lachane, A., & Oxendine, J. (2015). Redefining leadership education in graduate public health programs: Prioritisation, focus, and guiding principles. AM Journal Public Health. 34, 1-10

Modie, R. (2016). Learning about self: Leadership skills for public health. Journal of Public Health Research, 5, 1-6.

Montogomy. (2016). An overview of leadership principles and theories. Retrieved from https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/pubhhmp6615/chapter/what-is-leadership-theory-and-practice/

Yphantides, N., Escoborz, S. & Macchione, N. (2015). Leadership in public health: New competencies for the future. Front Public Health, 3, 1-5.

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