CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND QUALITY PATIENT CARE.

Running head: CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND QUALITY PATIENT CARE
CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND QUALITY PATIENT CARE
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1CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND QUALITY PATIENT CARE
Topic: An important facet of the role of clinical leaders is their contribution to the quality
of patient care
As examined by Stanley (2011), health professionals displaying commendable clinical
leadership qualities contribute significantly to the deliverance of high quality patient care in
accordance to the findings indicated in the Gallup report. Clinical leaders are now emerging as
an essential workforce in healthcare settings. Such an emergence has grown due to increasing
levels of self-recognition of clinical leaders as key stakeholders in healthcare organizations and a
requirement for clinical engagement in healthcare policy formulation resulting in clinical staff
participation in change process and increased emphasis on quality enhancement. However, self
and organizational recognition of the multifaceted dimensions of leadership are essential
prerequisites for clinical leaders to thrive and prosper.
However, as noted by Davidson, Elliot and Daly (2006), clinical leadership
implementation continues to be hindered by several political, economic, social and professional
issues. There is a need to administer novel procedures of nursing leadership in a dynamic clinical
organization setting, with financial limitations. There is hence a need for existing occupational
and academic environments to appreciate, implement and encourage innovating clinical
leadership. Existing healthcare policy frameworks must recognize the skills, role and abilities of
nurses at every organizational, clinical and competency level to influence quality patient care
deliverance through leadership and evidence based practice.
Hence, implementation of leadership frameworks such as ‘The Clinical Leadership
Programme’, as researched by Lin, Mac Curtain and Mac Mahon (2008), have been reported to
be beneficial due to their abilities to empower, encourage and enhance nursing skills of
collaborative multidisciplinary working resulting in positive patient health outcomes. Such