Discuss and Analyze Leadership Styles in Nursing

This article discusses and analyzes the use of different leadership styles in the role of registered nurses in a clinical context. It explores authoritarian/autocratic leadership, laissez faire leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership, providing examples for each style. The article emphasizes the importance of effective leadership in nursing and its impact on patient care.

Running Head: NURSING LEADERSHIP 1
Discuss and Analyses the Use of the Following 4 Leadership Styles (Authoritarian/Autocratic
Leadership, Laissez Faire Leadership, Transactional Leadership and Transformational
Leadership) In The Registered Nurse’s Role When Leading Others in A Clinical Context.
Provide at Least One Clear Clinical Example for Each Leadership Style.
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Introduction
It is the role of any registered nurse to ensure that he or she is able to lead and manage the
staff effectively. This should be performed in all situations of the professional scope and
practice. It requires a sound understanding so that one can lead others effectively. In this
theoretical and practical approaches should be applied so that one can meet the mission of
leadership. In these, the registered nurses can use the four leadership styles in the clinical
context. In that, as a nurse, one should apply either of the four leadership styles to lead the staff,
patients and other people. In the discussion, all the leadership styles will be discussed. How the
registered nurses in practice apply them and in each situation giving an example of how a
registered nurse can use the leadership style (Crisp, 2016).
In autocratic leadership, leaders seek to be tough to their followers and hence lead
through intimidation. In this, the leaders are only concerned to accomplish their mission not
focusing on people’s happiness or satisfaction. In these, in case of any poor performer in the
workplace, the leaders opt to punish them accordingly. These type of leadership has advantages
in that the organization being led by this kind of leadership style is very complex and well
organized because the followers follow rules to the letter. These means the organization meet its
standards very effectively due to the complex conditions being applied (Thompson and Hyrkas,
2014)
This type of leadership can be applied where the nurse leaders apply benevolent
dictatorship where the team being lead have the freedom to send their messages or the
information to the chain of command. When using this method, the members of the staff may
fear the leader but on top of that, they perform their duties in the right manner (Moorley and
Chinn, 2016). One example where this leadership style is applied in the health sector is where the

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physicians give the medical orders. This is because they don’t consult anyone but they apply
dictatorship not minding if the patient will be satisfied or not. Moreover, another example is
when the manager makes shifts allocated to other nurses. In this, he or she uses the autocratic
leadership style because he or she doesn’t ask for their views but he allocates according to his
wish. Moreover, there is another instance when the nurse leaders make hard decisions without
consulting other team members in these it becomes pure autocratic because in these the other
members may bring conflict due to the decision organized by their leader (Clarke and
Hassmiller, 2013).
In case of an emergency, the nurses require the autocratic dictatorship so that they can
manage the overloaded patients in the hospital. Most of them avoid working in a hostile
environment but by use of this leadership style, they are expected to carry out their routines so
that they can save the life of the individuals involved in the crisis. Other instances in health care
involve most of the health officers being reluctant about their work. This means any nurse can
rise up their voice so that others can start working accordingly (Pepin et al., 2011). This means
that in this type of leadership there is no voting and this implies that anybody can be an effective
leader to make an organization moving. In this type of leadership concentrating on the decision
making is more essential so that the treatment measures cannot be complicated hence posing risk
to the health of the patient. In this, for the autocratic nurses, they need to be organized and ensure
that all the employees are following the standard procedures in health care. For instance, in the
hospital settings, when admitting the patients or discharging the medical practitioner uses the
autocratic leadership style (Wong, Cummings and Ducharme, 2013).
The other type of leadership is laissez-faire. This goes contrary to other types of
leadership like the autocratic and democratic leadership. This type of leaders gives priority to the

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employees meaning that they have the freedom to make their own decisions. This can be applied
by the nurses where they are given the opportunity to work with minimum supervision. In this,
their leaders trust that the nurses will follow the policies adhered to them hence needing
minimum supervision. The leader builds a strong team with skills and knowledge so that they
can balance their individual freedom and their duties (Clarke, Swider, and Bigley, 2013). This
can be achieved by promoting educational services to the nurses so that they can have the ability
to resolve health care problems. Another example is providing the nurses with resources that will
aid and also motivate them when treating the patients. This method is also good for the new
registered nurses who are leaders and because these leaders have not gained experience in
leadership they develop their leadership skills through observing from other leaders and hence
copying their leadership skills from them (Gustafsson and Stenberg, 2017).
In this leadership style, the leaders themselves provide basic knowledge to the employees
but nurses themselves do their work diligently are accountable for their own actions. This
leadership style is utilized in the health care to help nurses thrive in their profession, improves
the institution competency and provide nurses with freedom so that they can serve the patients
diligently. For instance, this leadership skill is applied in many instances in the health care where
the patient is able to make the decision with the nurses of what he or she wants. Moreover,
nurse’s leaders also listen to the decisions made by the employees and make his final judgment
(Stewart and Usher, 2010).
The other type of leadership style is transactional leadership. In transactional leadership,
the leader is expected to be the manager of change. This means he will be making exchanges
with the employees so that they can make the organization efficient to increase production. This
leadership style depends on the self-motivated leaders like the nurses who work in a structured

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environment. As a leader using this style, his main objective is to motivate and inspire other
workers so that they can be motivated to do their work. As a nurse who is using a transactional
leadership style the leader rewards the employees who do their work diligently (Feldman et al.,
2011). This can be done by giving the hardworking nurses more shifts to rest, offering good pay
to them so that they can be motivated. For the employees in the health sector who move contrary
to the rules of the health sector the leaders who use these leadership styles give them penalties so
that they can change how they perform their duties. Another example, a transactional leader in
the clinical setting is where the leaders allow the use of the evidence-based practices which can
be used to improve the treatment procedures carried out in the hospital settings. Moreover, this
approach also is used in the mental department because nursing leaders use it in implementing
evidence-based practices in hospital settings (Kelly, 2010).
In transactional leadership it involves the relationship between the leader and the
practitioners and hence when these two people are moving together in coordination, they are able
to provide substantial services to the patients. moreover, this leadership style is applied when the
nurse leaders want to make decisions on human resource functions. Moreover, it is also essential
when conducting performance appraisals because it is easier to understand the methods being
applied. In this type of leadership, the exchange is required between the leaders and the
employees (Fagin, 2000). For example, in the hospital setting a nurse who meets the target set is
rewarded for the productive work being done. Moreover, another reward that can be offered to
them is giving free medical care to their family members for the productive work they have
done. Moreover, a transactional nurse leader has the responsibility to recognize good followers
or employees who accomplish their tasks in a timely way. Moreover, these leaders think in an
innovative way because they anticipate the problems and think fast on how to solve the problems

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which may hinder innovations being performed in the health sector. After realizing the problems,
they take appropriate action in a timely manner so that the problem can be solved. For example,
in the hospital settings, the transactional leaders take timely actions to the tools and equipment
which have faults in the hospital settings so that the nurses can perform their duties diligently.
This means this type of leadership adheres to the practice standards being performed in the
health care settings (Tappen et al.,2001).
Transformational leadership is a type of leadership style that is set to cause a change in
the people working in the organization and also in the organizational by itself. It is set to create a
positive change in the organization where it is used. In the clinical sector, the transformational
leaders improvise ideas which can cause a change in the health sector. An example is solving
health care issues with the use of technology. As a transformational nurse leader, one is required
to train their employees on how to become leaders in the workplaces. In these, the nurse leaders
consult the patients, members of staff in the hospital so that they can know on the areas to
improve in medical care. They encourage their employees in the health care systems to always
focus on the positive outcomes. For example, in the clinical context, the nurse leaders employ
effective communication and interpersonal techniques so that the patients and other teams can be
motivated. This is done so that the health sectors can build a reputation and also trust their client
(Tappen, 2001).
A nurse leader uses interpersonal communication skills in the health sector so that they
can encourage teamwork in the work station and also inspire the teams. This means that when
teamwork is evident, a good environment will be created and hence this creates respect and also
sharing of ideas between the working members in the work station. Moreover, the transformation
leadership ensures that every nurse has an input so that to avoid idleness in the workplace. For

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the decision organized by the transformational leader they are considered by the team members
and hence they give also their feedback (Sigma Theta Tau International, 2000).
The transformational nurse leaders play a role in the health care organizations in
encouraging the team members to adapt industry-driven changes. This is achieved by offering a
questionnaire where the team members give their views so that the problems experienced in the
work station will be solved by the required stakeholders in the health sector. Moreover, the nurse
leaders encourage their subordinates to contribute to the positive facts so that they can make a
positive change in the health sector. In these those leaders understand that for them to get
substantial ideas the team members should contribute their ideas so that positive changes can be
made in the health care organizations (Weiss et al.,2015). Moreover, for the nurse leaders, they
visualize with other members in the health care so that they can formulate the techniques on how
the problems identified in the health sector will be solved. It is also the role of the
transformational leaders in the health sector to collaborate with the stakeholders of the health
sector so that they can implement change to the health care system. an example in the health care
context is where there is a lot of jam in the treatment process in this the leader can collaborate
with team members so that they can apply technology in the health care system. moreover, when
there are fewer admission beds in the hospital the transformational leader implements ways on
how to add more beds to increase efficiency in health care.
Conclusion
Clinical nurse leaders play their role of keeping the respective department in order. They
try their ways and means so that they can achieve successful care outcomes. By incorporating
good leadership techniques, the clinical nurses can effectively build up essential health programs
and put up strategies which help to create a good environment for the employees. In this, for an

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organization to develop positively the nurse leaders should apply leadership styles documented
above. These leadership styles come with relative cost and benefits so that the needs of the staff
members will be satisfied in different ways. The leadership styles enable the individuals working
in the health sector to cooperate diligently, to do their work ineffective way, the staff is allowed
to receive the patient care decisions, all the members are allowed to participate in their vision.
On the other their stricter leadership styles like autocracy which requires the nurses to work
under a strained environment. For any health care to develop positively the nurse leaders should
implement the leadership styles which promote products in the health care system and also have
positive outcomes.

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