Leadership in Clinical Practice: Importance, Theories, and Challenges

This article discusses the importance of leadership in clinical practice, the different theories and styles of leadership, and the challenges faced by clinical leaders. It emphasizes the need for clinicians to develop leadership skills to provide the best healthcare services to patients.

TOSHIBA
LEADERSHIP IN CLINICAL
PRACTISE

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
ABSTRACT
Leadership can be defined simply as the process of taking charge of while helping them
understand and agree on what should be done and how it is done. This process facilitates
collective and individual efforts in accomplishment of objectives. Leadership is a crucial area in
management. It aids in maximizing of efficiency and achievement of organizational goals. In this
era and time, the operational clinical settings demand effective and proper leadership to ascertain
provision of the best health care that keeps providing the safest and efficient care to all patients.
It’s therefore for crucial for health care workers to have ability to identify styles, frameworks and
theories that relate to nursing. Proficiency in recognition of these aspects help nurses in
development of the necessary skills to be better and more refined leaders. It also enhances the
association with colleagues and other leaders.

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
Leadership
Introduction
Leadership is an element that is core to the success of an organization and the services it
provides. All practitioners get opportunities to contribute to the leadership and development and
empowerment of leadership capacity in fellow colleagues. Clinicians have a crucial role to play
within health care industry. They are bound to willfully participate in the efficient running of
specific entity involved. It is thus vital that every clinician develop leadership skills. (Mountford,
& Webb, 2009).
Clinical Leadership
The back born of clinical leadership entails the service delivery, setting goals,
collaboration or teamwork, demonstration of qualities and improvement of organizational
services. Leadership also involves undertaking management role with integrity. This article
utilizes the various leadership theories available to define specific situations in clinical settings
that can help improve effectiveness of leadership. Notably, different leadership styles fit different
circumstances. Leaders should be well versed with the approaches that are most effective in
particular situations. This is vital in achieving the goals and objectives of the organization
(Jowsey et al, 2011).
Effective clinical leadership is a very critical requirement for health care. This is directly
linked to timely care provision, good system performance, attainment of optimum system
efficiency and integrity. The health care setting is quite dynamic. Leadership in clinical care is
achieved in different fronts. Adequate leadership capabilities is essential for all practitioners as

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
they are accountable to the governance. Thus, clinical leadership is vital across health care
settings rather at the top of hierarchy (Ogrin & Barrett, 2015).
Proficient clinical leaders are able to make the right actions in their capacities. This
ensures that staff and support apply the correct procedures for patients. Furthermore, this helps
clinicians enhance their capabilities that helps in achieving their mandate. As Florence
Nightingale stated; “Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head … how can I
provide for the right thing to be always done?” (Mountford, & Webb, 2009).
Clinical leadership is faced with some crucial challenges. There is widespread
recognition of how vital viable clinical leadership is to the patient outcomes. There are, however,
barriers for leaders and managers in clinical leadership that quite are substantial. Examples of are
lack of incentives, confidence, the cynicism of clinicians and poor communication between
stakeholders. Some other barriers are curriculum development problems, lacking preparation for
the leadership roles and the professional health courses. The experience of participants in clinical
leadership programs that are poorly set are inadequate for the resourcing of developmental
programs. In some cases, there is lack of vision and commitment, inadequate disciplinary
relationships, conflicts and rejection of a leader’s role. Moreover, there exists resistance to
change and there may also be poor team work which leads to crucial challenges in clinical
leadership (Siriwardena, 2006).
Those who have undertaken the task of clinical leadership know the toughness that comes
with it. It is requires outstanding individuals who possess virtues of caring, are intelligent and
have emotional and physical stability (Blais et al, 2017).

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
Patients and visitors are confident when they can point out persons in control. It is vital to
ensure that those in leadership have the requisite skills to bring about change while also seeking
and delivering new improvement means for care pathways (Siriwardena, 2006). Clinicians
therefore show efficacious leadership as they utilize values, abilities and strengths in delivering
highest standards of care available. In achievement of these goals, clinicians portray competence
in:
 Development of Self Awareness
 Self-Management
 Continued Personal Development
 Acting with Integrity.
Clinicians show good leadership makes remarkable difference in the health in general through
deliverance of high quality services. This is also achieved through development of service
improvements (Schyve, 2009).
Clinicians ought to show competence in:
• Ensuring Patient Safety
This can be accomplished through assessment and management of patient risk related to
development of services and balancing financial factors with the requirement for patient safety.
Additionally by recognizing and measuring the hazard to patients utilizing data from a scope of
sources, utilize confirm, both positive and negative, to distinguish alternatives, utilize orderly
methods for evaluating and limiting risks and monitoring of the impacts and results of progress
(Siriwardena, 2006).
• Critical Evaluation

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
This translates to ability to think ideally and analytically. This also includes identification
of where hence services can significantly be improved. This is in addition to working team
members or individually. Acting on patient information, career, administration, feedback and
encounters, evaluation and assessments of procedures using updated change approaches and
means of healthcare improvement. It is also crucial to create solutions through options appraisal,
collaborative efforts, implementation and evaluation of the improvements (Stanley, 2014).
• Encouragement of Improvement and Innovation
Clinicians likewise demonstrate authority by empowering change and advancement by
making an atmosphere of persistent administration change. Capable clinicians: Question the
present state of affairs, go about as a constructive good example for advancement, empower
exchange and level headed discussion with an extensive variety of individuals, create innovative
answers for change administrations and care (Chávez & Yoder, 2015).
• Facilitation of Transformation
This can be accomplished through currently adding to change forms that prompt
enhancing social insurance. Equipped clinicians: The expected change model, verbalize the
requirement and its effect on individuals and administrations, elevate changes prompting
frameworks upgrade, spur and center a gathering to achieve change (Schyve, 2009).
There are a few hypotheses that have a tendency to clarify the Leadership perspectives in
this field of clinical drug. These theories include;
a. Transformational leadership theory

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
Leadership perspectives in this field of clinical leadership has great significance and
applicability in the scenario. The leaders who use this style are viewed as change effectors who
utilize their capabilities and capacities to persuade their adherents to accomplish their objectives,
to share their dreams, and to engage them. First, the leaders must form an association of trust
with their supporters. This association of trust can be set up by being open, reasonable, and
genuine with the staff and by persuading them to be autonomous in their choice making. Second,
these leaders must utilize successful correspondence to lead the staff to accomplish extreme
objectives. Moreover, the leaders ought to have incredible self-assurance, solidly have faith in
their vision and have the valor to accomplish their objectives (Barling, Weber & Kelloway,
2006).
b. Participative leadership theory
Participative administration, also called majority rule authority, is a style in which the
partners appreciate the fundamental authority process. The followers feel more involved with the
organization system and more committed to targets. They are also more propelled to work
effectively. A social researcher in the name of Kurt Lewin during the 1930s directed
examinations and recognized the criticalness of this style in associations basing on exchanges
with other business pioneers and workers. Additionally, he abridged that the participative
administration was the most popular style in a business setting. Pioneers who are facilitators
rather than tyrants encourage data and thought sharing with the ultimate objective of touching
choice base (Mannix, Wilkes, & Daly, 2013).
In this sort of administration, the leaders connect with their supporters in the process of
leadership through counseling of coworkers, while also being keen on controls. The first step is
diagnosing the circumstances that incorporate assessment of the importance of choice while

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
recognizing persons with pertinent learning. This additionally involves evaluating whether it is
possible to hold a social occasion. The second step is to persuade venture, which consolidates
asking people to express their stresses, delineating a suggestion as theoretical, looking for ways
to deal with develop musings and proposals, and demonstrating appreciation for proposition
(Chinese Nursing Research, 2017).
c. Comparison of two theories
Both speculations are helpful in addressing the issue. However, transformational
initiative has a more central part in present situation. It positively affects organizational
commitment and has influence on performance of employees. For this situation, transformational
authority could assist the medical caretaker with changing both her reasoning and conduct as unit
executive could maintain lines of correspondence openly so that the nurses can share ideas.
Additionally, the leader may give support to nurses and encourage them in order to enhance
commitment to the unit. Transformational leadership is more impactful on behavioral changes.
This style can provide motivation and inspiration to the nurse. (Mannix, Wilkes & Daly, 2013).
Participative initiative then again has many favorable circumstances. Case in point, it can
construct shared stock as observed between staff and the leaders, enhance group cooperation and
responsibility. The result is more profound occupation fulfillment across the organization
(Barling, Weber and Kelloway, 2006).
Participative administration, notwithstanding, does not inspire much and it requires a
long investment for leadership. All in all, this authority style doesn’t deal with specific issue in
the situation. The medical caretaker is less likely to be spurred. The executive of the unit may not

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
understand the musings of the attendant in case participative authority is solely utilized. In
administration hypotheses is basic (Johns, 2017).
Conclusion
Leadership more often than not takes practice. Authority isn't only a part that can
prepared once and afterward learnt. Nurse leaders and other senior clinicians who keep
encountering complex issues must never be quick to solve them. Preferably, they should be
considerate on exercising various leadership theories which they should apply in the context of
the clinic.
Viable clinical leadership identifies with best doctor's facility execution and it is
connected to a various doctor's facility capacities and is a basic segment of the social insurance
framework. Creating clinical authority skill in the midst of doctor's facility medical attendants
and other well-being specialists and experts
Nonetheless, regardless of the extensive realization of the significance of feasible clinical
leadership in relation to patient outcomes, there also exists a few roadblocks to clinical
leadership participation. Strategies put in place for future use should target to address these
matters to bring around the standard of performances that befit great clinical leadership in
hospitals. As focus on performance augmentation of the hospital persists, the leaders need to
raise quality and improve on efficiencies. This will have more significance meaning senior
hospital staff would be required to exercise best leadership skills.
For proper working conditions the senior hospital staff need to learn how to work with
the other staff with lower rank and focus on delivering best medical services to patients. They
should figure out how to fill in as a group. As clinicians they ought to have an arranged work

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
routine and they should figure out how to oversee beneficial assets. They should know how to
oversee individuals: by giving guidance, audit of execution, rouse others, and advance
correspondence and by dealing with their execution. Furthermore, proficient clinicians consider
themselves as responsible as any other professional for impact that comes about.

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
References
Mountford, J. & Webb, C. (2009). When clinicians lead. McKinsey Q Healthcare. February 1–8.
Schyve, P. (2009). Leadership in Healthcare Organizations: A Guide to Joint Commission
Leadership Standards. San Diego, CA: The Governance Institute; Retrieved from
http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/wp_leadership_standards.pdf. Accessed
April 21, 2014.
Jowsey, T., Yeh, L., Wells, R. & Leeder, S. (2011). National Health and Hospital Reform
Commission and patient-centred suggestions for reform. Aust J Prim Health;17(2):162–
166.
Siriwardena, A.N. (2006). Releasing the potential of health services: translating clinical
leadership into healthcare quality improvement. Qual Prim Care, 14, pp. 125-128
Barling, J., Weber, T. & Kelloway, E. (2006). Effects of transformational leadership training and
attitudinal and financial outcomes: a field experiment. J Appl Psychol, 81, pp. 827-832
Mannix, J., Wilkes, L.., & Daly, J. (2013). Attributes of clinical leadership in contemporary
nursing: an integrative review. Contemp Nurse, 45, pp. 10-21CrossRefView Record in
Scopus Peer review under responsibility of Shanxi Medical Periodical Press. Shanxi
Medical Periodical Press. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.
Chinese Nursing Research. (2017). Volume 4, Issue 4, pp. 182-185
Ogrin, R., & Barrett, E. (2015). Clinical leadership and nursing. Australian Nursing and
Midwifery Journal, 23(2), 45.
Johns, C. (2017). Becoming a reflective practitioner. John Wiley & Sons.

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 11
Chávez, E. C., & Yoder, L. H. (2015, April). Staff nurse clinical leadership: a concept analysis.
In Nursing forum (Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 90-100).
Stanley, D. (2014). Clinical leadership characteristics confirmed. Journal of Research in
Nursing, 19(2), 118-128.
Blais, K., Hayes, J. S., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. L. (2015). Professional nursing practice: Concepts
and perspectives (p. 530). NJ: Prentice Hall.