The Impact of Leadership on Managing Workplace Stress in Nursing

This essay delves into the critical role of leadership and management in mitigating workplace stress within the nursing profession. It begins by highlighting the pressures nurses face due to inadequate leadership and the importance of effective management, teamwork, and proper scheduling. The essay explores various leadership styles, including democratic, affiliative, authoritarian, coaching, servant, and situational leadership, and their impact on nurses' well-being and performance. It also examines the duties of senior nurses, such as supporting and motivating staff, fostering team building, and creating a positive work environment. The essay further discusses the significance of healthcare management, emphasizing the need for coordination, resource allocation, and decision-making to ensure the delivery of quality patient care. It stresses the importance of good listening, empathy, and support from leaders to enhance staff satisfaction and productivity within the healthcare setting. The essay emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive leadership training for managers in healthcare to address the complex challenges of the field.

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MANAGING STRESS AT WORK WITHIN COMMUNITY SETTING FOR NURSES
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Introduction
Many times, we find professionals undergoing a lot of pressure and stress in their workplace due
to the lack of proper leadership and management in an organization. The nursing field is so broad
that if appropriate scheduling and teamwork are not embraced, then this can result to stress at
work. One of the best ways to eliminate or manage stress is by having good managers and
leaders as well as working as a team to achieve the vision of the organization together with the
provision of quality health care services to the patients in need of it. Leadership refers to the act
of directing or instructing a group of individuals to perform a particular task in the required
manner. The main factor of leadership entails impelling group activities as well as coping with
transformation. It becomes difficult when it comes to leadership in health professionals because
most of the theories that were developed, were not considering healthcare context instead they
focused on business and then applied on healthcare. Researches done concerning the leadership
of health professionals as directed by those theories show very little evidence that leadership is
linked with advancement in patient care and managerial results once applied in the healthcare
situation. Additionally, highly developed health care centers which have got many businesses
within it taking place, demands for management skills of high quality (Pillay, 2008).
Consequently, to manage this complex health care centers outstandingly, the appointed health
experts in management must be fully competent with the best managerial skills and also, being
aware of the difficulties experienced in health care. Management in health entails a wide range of
areas that need to be monitored; this suggests that career training and individual traits are not
enough when it comes to appointing the managers and leaders in any health professionals. A
thorough training education in managing and leading in health profession has to be done to any
person desiring to undertake this role in health care. This paper aims to set grounds for critical
examination of healthcare leadership, management, types of leadership and management needed
in health profession especially in nursing, education and training for health leadership and
management, theories based on health leadership and management, as well as the importance of
both leadership and management in health (Ensley, Hmieleski and Pearce, 2006).
Leadership in the nursing profession

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Leadership is a significant skill for nurses regardless of the level. Nevertheless, this may sound
so obvious especially for those having positions that allow them to have direct leadership and
managerial responsibilities. However, it is essential to bear in mind that even most currently
qualified health practitioners to require the courage and skills to enable them to lead nursing
students as well as other nursing colleagues like healthcare assistants. Similarly, senior nurses
are those probably are involved in a multiple of leadership activities during their daily duty are
required to have skills of highest value (Chao, Shih and Hsu, 2016).
Leadership roles of senior nurses
One of the major duties of a senior nurse is to support other nurses to apply the knowledge they
have when rendering health services and to motivate them to try new skills in a safe and helpful
situation (Leggat, Balding and Schiftan, 2015). This act helps to build competent professionals
via applied based learning. Senior nurses are required to embrace a nurturing leadership protocol
which shows the action of mentoring, training and direction to those under them. Research
conducted on the impact of leaders on the workforce shows that proper support and
encouragement from leaders helps to eliminate emotional fatigue, boredom, lack of motivation as
well as negative thinking concerning the workplace environment. Hence, it would be more
significant for the leaders to give emotional motivation to the staff they are supervising and
continuously make them aware of their performance to help them build self-esteem. Ward
environment is a very tensional area to most of the recent nurses who are practicing for the first
time after studies. To relieve this feeling of incompetent to them requires a leader who is
committed and supportive to ensure that they are well mentored by the experienced nurses within
the workplace (Hsu, Chang and Hsieh, 2015). Often, we hear of mistreatment of the less
experienced health practitioners by the experienced ones who can end up discouraging them
entirely and always feel burdens in their profession.
Another duty of senior nurses is to expedite and inspire. This shows us that, all leaders are seen
as an essential tool for the smooth running of any organization. Researcher called Adair come up
with a model known as a three-circle model of tactical leadership, where the three circles
representing the individual, the team and the task (Barker, 2014). Adair trusts that knowledge
only cannot be adequate to direct something though in the absence of it leading is impossible.
Leaders are supposed to recognize both group and people need and be in a position to respond to

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them accordingly. Adair continuous to explain that each of the three in his model does interact
with each other. Adair’s model is very democratic in leadership since there is a choice in all the
options available to determine who can do the task. Generally, all leadership models are
beneficial gears for senior nurses and aids to place the role of leadership into a better perception.
The model should help the nursing leaders to have effective leadership skills that will yield good
results about their work of providing health care to the patients. Leadership entails doing the
right tasks since it assists in ascending the ladder of victory; it is a matter of determining if the
ladder is tilting in the required position to get where the target point is (Bush and Glover, 2014).
Team building
Team building involves the skills that can help one to lead effectively and excellently (Lynch,
McCance, McCormack & Brown, 2018). Every nursing sector comprises of people serving in
different duties to meet the needed work effectively. The rate of success attained is regularly
determined depending on the strength and dimness of the nurse leader and the capability to
motivate and encourage others. The most important ideas that every nurse in leadership is
supposed to know is that a single person cannot be able to best results alone. It is to this way as a
leader that behind every excellent person is a team of people who empower their leader and
provide ways for goal achievement via combined efforts. If a leader is used of making decisions
personally without consultations from the team members might end up being seen as a dictator.
This because the colleagues think that they are being looked down upon and the leader sees no
importance to their ideas and experiences. The department of nursing achieves more goals when
they work in a team. Every senior nurse leader must assist others to work effectively so that they
can meet the vision of the team. Two aspects are vital when a nurse leader want to move from
leading a group of independent individuals to creating team workers, which includes attitude and
vision (Clements et al., 2015).
Types of leadership in nursing
Democratic leadership. In this kind of leadership, the leaders have got the best traits and skills
of handling their people. These leaders concentrate mainly on serving their employees and
listening to any issue which might be disturbing them. They have got several admirable
behaviors like being open to their communication as well showing respect and value to every
worker. This leader is ever committed and leads with a lot of confidence.

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Affiliative leadership. This leadership is not the best to everyone since it looks to be more
concerned with business activities and neglects all that is a need for the workers to feel
motivated, especially if they are in a stressing environment. However, an Affiliative leader is
most needed in the health institutions that are suffering from low morale.
Authoritarian leadership. This is a type of a leader who is mostly very harsh and stuns.
Generally, these leaders are not the best because they always decide on their own and does not
involve the worker as well as failing to give responses about the working of the team. They fail
to motivate the workers, and in most cases, they command the team rather than requesting.
Coaching leadership. It is the best leadership since it focuses on developing the skills of the
leaders and motivating in areas of strength to their workers.
Servant leadership. This kind of a leader leads by example where in most cases he or she is
found assisting in the accomplishment of the duties of the nursing. Though these kind of leaders
are rare to find, they help a lot when they are in any organization.
Situational leadership. In this leadership, it demands one have the talent of thinking critically
on the bases of handling the team. These leaders are very flexible when it comes to the handling
of any issue of the organization. They use their skills and tactics in order to achieve the goals of
healthcare.
Features of an operative leader
A good listener. Successful leadership is attained by leaders who are always ready to listen
attentively to anyone who might be talking to them.
A tolerant mentor. Leaders should be models to the team they are leading and displaying thirst
of desiring to do their best in the tasks allocated to them.
Expresses sympathy. A good leader takes the feeling as well as perspectives of individuals they
lead into account. Leaders are supposed to be aware that everybody regardless of their level or
status requires respect from them.
Supportive of their staff. Every successful team is the one that is led by a supportive and a
motivating leader. Leaders mean a lot when it comes to the working of the staff and quality of

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work done at any particular point. Senior nurses should support the other nurses fully below their
ranks to ensure that patients get care that is worthy credibility.
Management in the health sector
Healthcare management is an occupation that offers guidance and direction institutions that
render personal health care services, the faculties, departments as well as services within that
institution. Since institutions of health care are very complex and active throughout, the
institutions need that the managers offer guidance, supervision, and harmonization of workforces
(Department of Health, 2015). Institutions are created to achieve targets that are greater than the
capability of any person. In the health sector, the extent and complexity of duties performed in
the provision of services are so huge that individual team operating lonely could not complete
the work. Furthermore, everything that involves the provision of health care demands
coordination by specialized personnel who are expected to work tirelessly and in unity
seamlessly. Management is required to assure that organizational duties are being performed in
the best manner as possible to facilitate attainment of health goals and that enough resources,
including funds and human resources, are sufficient to assist the health organization (Creed,
DeJordy and Lok, 2010).
Health managers are elected to stations of authority where they shape the health organization by
building vital decisions. For instance, relate to appointment and establishment of working staff,
acquiring technology, service increment or decrement, and budgeting and utilization of fund
resources. Furthermore, all decision that is made by health managers does not only aim at
ensuring that patient gets the most prominent services effectively and timely but also discourse
attainment of the set target that is admirable by the managers (Graffin, Haleblian and Kiley,
2016). Eventually, decisions made by a single manager can affect the institution overall
achievement and performance. They are two helpful domains that every manager should put in
consideration as they do their duties and make decisions which include external domain and
internal domain. External domain simply refers to the factors, properties, and activities that are
outside the borderline of the health organization but which importantly touches the organization.
These elements involve the needs of the society, population characteristics, and the contributions
from the marketable insure (Begun, Zimmerman and Dooley, 2003).

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On the other hand, the internal domain entails the area of the target that managers require to talk
about and guide every day. They include making sure that the required number and type of
specialist are available, funds operation, and standard health care is being practised (Thomas and
While, 2007). All these internal elements are the ones that determine the operation of the health
institution where the managers have the most control. In the nursing, we have got several
managerial positions which include administrator, manager, business officer, director, food
services, admissions coordinator, supervisors as well as environmental services (McMullen,
Shepherd and Patzelt, 2009).
The focus on health management
The best healthcare management entails practising professional decision and skills as well as
exercising the managerial function that has been mentioned earlier in this essay. Three levels that
control areas of emphasizes in management are self, team, and the size of the organization. The
self-level is where the manager is expected to be able to manage him or herself. The manager
must be able to manage funds, time, materials and facilities, information, as well as being
accountable for every activity where he or she has been entrusted to enact. Furthermore, the
manager should ensure that they maintain a positive attitude with the team and keep motivating
the workers. The most important aspect for every manager to keep informed of all current
activities concerning healthcare and make amendment where possible (Carr, Maeda, Oughton &
Weiss, 2018).
Ability to manage oneself also entails establishing and applying correct technical, conceptual as
well as interpersonal skills and being competent with them. A manager is supposed to have all
these qualities to shift to the higher level of supervising. The next level of emphasis in
management is teamwork which requires the manager to control others fully about the
completion of work assigned to them. It does not matter the level one is in the management, but
the thing is that once a manager you will be managing people. The responsibilities comprise of
assigning of duties to the people, monitoring performance at work, making changes where
necessary and reviewing all the information as the institution needs it. Achievement shows the
interaction that is within the manager and employees. The final level in management is the
organisation level which is composed of the ability of the manager to make everything run
smoothly within the health sector (Leslie and Canwell, 2010). In this level, we expect that the

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manager is going to work together with the team they are leading to attain the set goals in that
particular field of work. It is not good for the manager to seem as if they are not part of workers
and sit down with files in the offices doing thing a lot nothing. An organization that attains the
goals they have set are the ones whose managers work as part of the tasks in the organization.
We encourage consultation, sharing of information, cooperative decision making and good
interaction with every individual at work (Atwal and Caldwell, 2006).
Conclusion
Every organisation required to have a committed team of leaders and managers for it to achieve
the goals that are set for it. Stressing environment leads to the poor result of the overall
institution and should be avoided at all cost (Rodrigues and Chaves, 2008). In nursing, so many
tasks are done which cannot be accomplished in the absence of strong leadership and
management in general. I recommend that the health organizations should be keen on appointing
of the managers as well as a leader because they determine every performance that is needed in
the organization. Selection of the leaders and managers should not be based on the personal
characteristics only, but also one’s skills and abilities to coordinate the duty entrusted to them.

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