Clara Barton And The American Red Cross

Leadership is defined as the act of influencing others to reach a common goal. A nursing leader differs in that they advocate for an everlasting need for improvement in the quality of patient care and have a personal drive to create positive change within a specific scope of nursing. A leader will possess certain characteristics such as integrity, initiative, courage, and optimism. There are many nursing leaders, Florence Nightingale being one of the most well known and praised worldwide. However according to Strickler (2018), Clara Barton was also known as the “true heroine of the age and the angel of the battlefield” made many contributions such as the founding the American Red Cross in 1881 that went on to motivate and lead many individuals to join the movement of promoting the alleviation of human suffering during times of war. This paper will touch upon Clara Barton as a leader and what led to her success in influencing change within quality of care on the battlefield and beyond.

Early Work

Clara Barton had a major impact on how and where women can support and provide medical care during times of war. She became a schoolteacher at first that went on to open free public schools in New Jersey. After that she became one of the first women to work within the United States Patent Office. This was huge as it showed that women have a place to work and grow alongside their male counterparts without disparity in compensation. Barton opened the Office of Correspondence with the Friends of the Missing Men of the United States Army with the hope that those who had been lost, separated from their units and unaccounted for could be reunited with their family and friends. Clara did not stop there; she eventually came to serve as a volunteer on the front lines providing care for wounded and ill soldiers during the Civil War. Inspired by Florence Nightingale by her work on the battlefield, Clara felt a calling that she needed and could do more to help. Public speaking was one of Clara's’ strong suits and was often called upon to speak of her experiences and share her wealth of knowledge about the battlefield.

Leadership

After Clara gave her years cleaning up the battlefield, her incredible passion to serve took her in another direction. She visited Europe for a peace of mind trip, little did she know she would be working alongside the International Red Cross learning and birthing the idea of bringing that platform to the United States that desperately needed it. Upon her return she rallied and lobbied to get a firm foundation behind her cause. She relentlessly centered her attention on the importance of getting the American Red Cross established because she knew from experience that this could change the outcome of many lives throughout the country. Research by Casey-Lockyer and Springer (2016) surmised that: “The American Red Cross mission was to serve those in harms’ way; must be prepared to meet clients anywhere they are; and must be prepared for the conditions of the culture and geography of the community in need that are being served. ” This organization benefitted to aid in emergency situations. In 1881, the American Red Cross was made a reality through great persistence with Clara as the president. Through personal will power, courage and initiative, traits that makes a strong leader, Clara sought out and did everything she wanted to do in a time where women were not seen as anything past a homemaker. Clara was thought to lead under an authoritative style. Sfantou et al. (2017) argued “An autocratic leadership style is considered ideal in emergencies situation as the leader makes all decisions without taking into account the opinion of staff”. Clara made the decisions and distributed orders. In this type of leadership, the group is often left out from participating and having a say. Clara was a big leader for change, and she had a clear vision and it showed with all that she accomplished due to her determination. There are criticisms of this style of leadership, while being efficient it often creates dissatisfaction within the group of followers due to the lack of creativity and personal growth. Clara had to resign from her position as President of the American Red Cross due to complaints of her leadership style, as it was becoming outdated and unattractive as the years progressed. Clara Bartons’ unique way of thinking did not deter her work; it rather allowed her to achieve all her goals no matter how long it took.

Personal Philosophy

A personal philosophy is made up of one's personal beliefs and what guides their nursing care in terms of style and quality. With a personal belief a nurse can better understand their motivation and logic behind their work. Personally, as a nurse I believe in doing whatever I can to provide the best care to my patients regardless of the situation. In the way Clara noticed that people not only needed care in times of turmoil but also in times of tranquility. In this way I will follow in the footsteps of treating human beings as more than just an illness. I have an understanding of providing care to maintain my patient's dignity and give them the chance to retain as much as their independence as possible through compassion. Through my brief nursing experiences, I have learned that there is not just one answer and one must incorporate the person, their environment, their health and care into one. I believe holistic care yields the best patient outcomes and will integrate it into my practice while providing proficient, empathetic and whole care. Nursing is ever changing and keeping current with new techniques and patient care processes will only benefit my patients. I will work as a team with staff and will always be open to asking questions if I genuinely do not know. Clara was a big advocate for change and I agree that that is very important. I will be flexible and not afraid of change or to speak up in the workplace. I vow to practice in accordance with nursing regulations, policies and ethics. I will show respect and not discriminate when it comes to sexual orientation or cultural beliefs. I will assume the role of educator and encourage good healthy habits and disease awareness in the community. I believe that nursing is way more than just a job, it is a calling to use your passion and knowledge to support and care for those that cannot do it for themselves.

Conclusion

All in all Clara Barton proved to be an amazing pioneer and revolutionary for modern nursing. She was a teacher, educator, advocator and activist not only for medical care but fought for gender and racial equality. She achieved all her goals through her tenacity and hunger to form opportunities for others worldwide. Although everybody did not like autocratic leadership, Clara persevered and was able to huge impact in the nursing community. Like Clara, I too strive to create be an advocate for my patients in their times of need inside and outside the hospital setting. One who has strong personality with a need to serve and provide that understands their own personal philosophy is essential in playing an active part in making a positive difference, small or big.

References

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3. Sfantou, D. F. , Laliotis, A. , Patelarou, A. E. , Sifaki-Pistolla, D. , Matalliotakis, M. , & Patelarou, E. (2017).
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