Leadership Styles for Nursing Professionals

Running head: HEALTHCARE
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Introduction
Nursing leadership involves critical thinking, accomplishment and support or
advocacy. These approaches take place in all roles and spheres of nursing practice. It has its
existence across all realms of nursing related to clinical, educational, management, research,
and policy in every background as well as at several levels. Leadership can emerge in
recognized, prearranged positions or in informal roles which nursing professionals tend to
assume. In the view of Stanley (2016), Power, Politics and Leadership, healthcare undergoes
a continual state of change typically with numerous change initiatives of several scales taking
place at the same time. Some are more effective than others. However, all are planned in
order to seek solutions to resolve complex problems which the current healthcare system is
encountering. Registered nurses are profoundly involved in system transformation as they
care about the health conditions of people and focuses on providing responsible healthcare
services. However, most importantly, it is professionalism as well as social accountability of
nursing professionals which facilitate them to take a robust leadership standpoint on behalf of
Australians (Dyess et al., 2016). The following essay will discuss the importance of
transformational and democratic leadership styles in maximising patient care and motivating
subordinates through successful inclusion in the healthcare system. Additionally, it will
outline the roles and accountabilities of Registered Nurses (RN) and methods of leading
teams. Lastly, by focusing on NNSQHS Standards 1, 2 and 6 and RN Standards of Teaching
it will illustrate ways to ensure quality patient care.
Discussion
Leadership styles for nursing professionals
Nurse leaders requires to work as a leader who guides every single individual who
contributes to the well-being of the patients in a specific nursing setting (Stanley, 2016). The
poor performance of nursing professionals who coordinates and balances all the other nurses,

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patients as well as their families in addition to other healthcare experts tends to result in
inferior patient results. In fact, it puts confrontational effects on the confidence and efficiency
of the staff members which leads to poor enactment of the entire clinical setting (Marquis &
Huston, 2009).
At this juncture, democratic leadership in nursing is highly effectual. This is because
it allows nurses to gather high involvement and partake in decisions related to patient care
delivery as well as teamwork with other employees. This probably increases nurses' job
satisfaction and commitment to work. On the contrary, it has been noted that some nurse
managers do not stand out as leaders, but as team members (McKeown & Carey, 2015). This
implies that nursing professionals own responsibilities could be of secondary significance.
This type of leadership style primarily improves the involvement of subordinates in the
decision making procedures of an organization. Even though, the final assessment is of the
leader, but through democratic leadership style nurse leaders gather information, response as
well as ideas from all the staff associates in advance of confirming the whole thing (Huber,
2017). Thus, democratic leadership style in nursing is relatively effective as all the personnel
feel esteemed and owing to this, they endeavour to give their best.
Another leadership style which will enhance the role of a RN in teaching peers is
transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is deliberated as one of the
most effective leadership approach to accomplish this. As a result of transformational
leadership, nursing professionals working at all levels in the organization observe that their
opinions are taken into consideration, their participations and contributions are appreciated as
well as their practices are being reinforced. In the view of Lin et al. (2015), inspiration and
motivation are regarded as two main constituents of transformational leadership. As per
studies, transformational leaders are likely to offer great enthusiasm to their followers to help
them accomplish the objectives and purposes of the organization while stimulating them to

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attain their individual aims (Choi et al., 2016). Bring into line the individual requirements
with the organizational needs is an indispensable approach of inspiring motivation. It is
important to note that transformational leaders strive to substitute the essence of teamwork
and obligation. A transformational leader explains the vision; undertaking as well as strategic
goals of the organization in addition to produces a robust sense of determination amongst the
subordinate which will transform individual and group performance to recover the quality of care
provided (Weng et al., 2015).
RN’s roles and responsibilities and methods to lead a team to provide quality care
RNs must be comprehensively associated with physicians, nursing subordinates as
well as other healthcare professionals in successfully restructuring healthcare system (Ritchie
et al., 2018). Furthermore, effective workforce planning as well as policymaking necessitate
improved data collection as well as information infrastructure (Stevenson et al., 2015). These
two roles stand out in light of RNs’ role in endorsing and promoting quality patient care
services and safety initiatives.
Methods of establishing organizational culture is seen as one of the most important
ways in which RNs can lead a proactive team in providing quality care. At this juncture,
transformational leadership has been found to be positively related with effective nursing unit
organization culture (Potter et al., 2016). Through the method of establishing strong
organizational culture, RNs will be able to build interpersonal relationship and trust.
Smolowitz et al. (2015) have found that higher or more improved group culture tends to be
allied to higher safety climate in general, thus signifying that general organizational culture is
significant to organizations’ climate of wellbeing.
On the other hand, with onward and upward approach, the RNs can proficiently lead
proactive team to provide quality patient care. According to Oxelmark et al. (2018), it is
important to use onward and upward approach in order to encourage subordinates to develop

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empathy with patients and easily apprehend their needs as well as their health and welfare in
order to offer progressive and exceptional care. This method is highly effective as it develops
a healthy relationship between patient and nurse which will successfully lead to rapid
recovery time.
Role modelling or teaching team leader provide during the shift through RN standards for
practice
RNs are chiefly allocated as a ‘Team Leader’ for the shift. Their primary role is to
deliver direct as well as indirect clinical administration to the student. As per studies, team
leaders wear a badge for the shift in order to identify their assigned roles (Smolowitz et al.,
2015). This is primarily to encourage the nurses in order to categorize their roles as being in a
different position in that way assisting them to accentuate providing supervision before the
hands-on care. The primary role modelling of RN leaders during shifts is to manage staff
activities in order to guarantee utmost quality patient care. The team leader during shifts
attends patient care sessions as well as offers participation to the Nursing Care Plan. As per
Stevenson et al. (2015), RN leaders keep well-informed of any changes occurring in patient
status. Additionally, they confirm proper application of quality reassurance and infection
control plans. Team leaders can implement RN standards for practice by using range of
thinking approaches in addition to the best accessible evidence in making judgments and
delivering safe, valued nursing practice surrounded by person-centred as well as evidence-
based frameworks (Goode et al., 2016). By applying Standard 1 (Thinks critically and
analyses nursing practice) of RN standards for practice, nursing professionals will be able to
access, investigate and practice the best presented evidence which incorporates robust
research results for safe quality practice (RN Standards of Practice, 2016). This will further
benefit them to respect patients belonging to all cultural backgrounds and experiences. This
will comprise being responsive to the role of family as well as community that support the

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health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people of other cultural
background. Additionally, with the application of RN standard 2 (Engages in therapeutic and
professional relationships), RNs will be taught to establish, sustain and accomplish
associations with an approach which will lessen the gaps between professional and personal
connections. For nursing professionals to practice safe quality health services, must recognise
that individuals are the best authorities in the experience of their life and thus will help them
in delivering support and direct people to possessions in order to optimise health associated
decisions (RN Standards of Practice, 2016). Furthermore, 2nd standard of RN practices will
help nurses in dynamically raising a culture of safety and knowledge that takes in engaging
with health experts as well as others with an aim of sharing knowledge and practice that
reinforces person-centred care. Under Standard 4, RNs will be able to precisely conduct
inclusive and methodical assessments. They will further be able to analyse information and
data as well as connect outcomes as the foundation for practice (RN Standards of Practice,
2016).
Focus on NSQHS standards 1, 2 and 6
The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards have been
primarily developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in
association with the Australian Government, states as well as territories along with the private
sector, medical experts, patients as well as carers (Flanigan, 2016). The NSQHS standards
helps RNs to attain knowledge of providing a quality assurance mechanism that assesses
whether appropriate systems are in place in order to guarantee accomplishment of projected
standards of safety and quality of patients. Under NSQHS Standard 1, safety and quality
systems are incorporated with governance procedures in order to empower organisations and
nursing professionals to actively manage and recover the safety and quality of healthcare for
patients through policies and procedures, evaluations and quality developments and risk

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management approaches (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, 2020). By
following NSQHS Standard 1 health service organisation will be able to identify the diversity
of the consumers through its services and categorize groups of patients by means of its
services who are cited to be at higher risk of harm. By following NSQHS Standard 1, the
health service organisation establishes a friendly setting that identifies the position of the
traditional beliefs as well as practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
By following NSQHS Standard 2 (Partnering with Consumers Standard) nursing
leaders progress, implement in addition to maintain systems to associate with consumers.
These associations relate to the forecasting, design, distribution, capacity and assessment of
care. Nurses use these systems to associate with consumers. Under the 2nd Standard, health
service organisation develop procedures for clinicians to form connections with patients and
their substitute decision-maker in planning, interacting sessions and to establish goals and
make assessments about their present and future care (National Safety and Quality Health
Service Standards, 2020). At this juncture, the health service organisation reinforces health
professionals to establish partnerships with patients and carers with an aim of successfully
engaging patients can in their individual care. Furthermore, under this Standard, consumers
are considered as partners in the design as well as governance of the organisation.
Under NSQHS Standard 6, communication is identified as a key safety and quality
issue. This standard identifies the significance of effective communication as well as its role
in supporting uninterrupted, harmonized and safe patient care. As per studies, clinical
handover has been typically understood as only discussing about shift-to-shift handover
(National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, 2020). Nevertheless, since effective
communication is vital at other crucial times all through the provision of healthcare,
modifications have been done to this standard in order to manage clinical communications in
a more wide-ranging manner. Under this standard, clinicians use organisational procedures

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from the Partnering with Consumers Standard to effectually interconnect with patients, carers
as well as patient families throughout high-risk situations in order to take in patients in their
individual care and thereby accomplish patient’s information needs and effectively share
decision-making. Furthermore, Standard 6 has helped clinicians and multidisciplinary teams
to utilize clinical communication procedures in order to effectively converse critical
information, signals and risks during their arousal thus leading to improved patient care
(National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, 2020).
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that, healthcare organizations must put together visions of
nursing leadership in the forthcoming days. In conjunction with universities, healthcare
organizations must start progress of nurse manager education programmes which will
essentially focus on strategic problems, leadership, employment satisfaction, challenging
circumstances in leadership along with change management, as well as work unit
management related to economy, competence and resources and ways in which nurse leaders
interpret patient care. It is imperative that nurse leaders have peer groups and counsellors for
assisting them to develop as managers. It is the primary role or RN leaders to establish a clear
vision and objectives and make the effective nurse leadership conceivable as part of multi-
professional assistance.

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