Group Leadership Skills for Nurses and Health Professionals

Description

"This book provides a comprehensive and insightful overview of group leadership skills, applicable to both therapeutic and work-related groups, alike." - Elizabeth McCay, RN, PD, Ryerson University

"[A] masterful guide that teaches us to gain the most from each group setting. Whether we are in our private practice or involved in a committee, this work gives us an excellent format to follow." - William S. Bezmen, PhD, RN, CS, Director, Pathways to Health, Holistic Treatment and Education Center

Group Leadership Skills provides a solid foundation for using group concepts, theory, and research with a wide variety of groups and group settings. With this book, nurses and health professionals will learn the essential group process skills, including differentiating content from process, working with tension and anxiety, and enhancing cohesiveness. Clark presents practical strategies to improve the effectiveness of group leaders, such as helping groups solve problems and build teams. This edition is now newly expanded to apply to a diverse collection of groups. The strategies and techniques can be used with students, families, staff, codependency groups, depression groups, rape and sexual abuse groups, domestic violence groups, and many more.

Key Features:

• Contains practical strategies for group leaders including conflict resolution, suggested ice-breakers, and discussion questions
• Includes new "Exercise Simulations" for many chapters, including chapters on working with older adults, focus groups, organizations, and communities
• Includes new feature, "Clinical Leader Challenges," which asks learners to apply theory and concepts to group situations

Table of Contents

Part I: Learning Group Basics
1. INTRODUCING YOU TO GROUP WORK
2. USING BASIC GROUP CONCEPTS AND PROCESS
3. WORKING TO ACHIEVE GROUP GOALS

Part II: Beginning and Guiding Groups
4. BEGINNING, GUIDING, AND TERMINATING A GROUP
5. DEALING WITH SPECIAL GROUP PROBLEMS

Part III: Developing Group Leadership Skills
6. OBTAINING SUPERVISION AND WORKING WITH A COLEADER
7. USING BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES
8. RECORDING AND ANALYZING GROUP PROCESS

Part IV: Working with Different Types of Groups
9. WORKING WITH THE OLDER ADULT
10. WORKING WITH FOCAL GROUPS
11. WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS
12. WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES

Glossary
Index

Author Biographies

Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD, FAAN, AHNC, founded the Wellness Institute and now runs a website called Wellness and Relationship Resources at www.carolynchambersclark.com that provides continuing education materials, newsletters, seminars, and practice management consultation. As a certified advanced holistic nurse and mental health nurse practitioner, she has maintained a private practice with clients for more than 30 years, focusing on whole person wellness.

She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1980 and is an award-winning author who has conducted research and published widely on wellness, holistic, and self-care topics, including Wellness Practitioner, Integrating Complementary Procedures into Practice, Health Promotion in Communities: Holistic and Wellness Approaches (Springer Publishing Company, 2001),Holistic Assertiveness Skills for Nurses: Empower Yourself (and Others!) (Springer Publishing Company, 2003) and The Encyclopedia of Complementary Health Practice (Springer Publishing Company. 1999) She was also founding editor of the Alternative Health Practitioner: The Journal of Complementary and Natural Care and is the author of Group Leadership Skills (Springer Publishing Company, 2003), now in its fourth edition.