Leadership Skills in Nursing: A Comprehensive Overview (NUR201)

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LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN NURSING
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Soft skills......................................................................................................................................1
Verbal and non-verbal communication....................................................................................1
Interpersonal relationship.........................................................................................................2
Problem-solving ability................................................................................................................2
Motivation................................................................................................................................2
Active learning skills................................................................................................................3
Balance between leadership and learning................................................................................3
Task accomplishment...................................................................................................................4
Time management....................................................................................................................4
Decision making.......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................5
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Introduction
Leadership development is recognized as an essential component of the education of the health
professionals from all fronts. Such preparation for nursing students can help to improve their
performance and future growth perspectives. The following research is committed to discussing
the importance of leadership skills that are associated with the success of nursing students. The
requirement of clinical leadership nursing is justified as it will not only improve the patient
outcome but will also improve qualitative perspectives of healthcare with enhanced patient safety
(Chappell, et al., 2014). Such care from the global perspective requires the development of
certain leadership skills in nursing students.
Soft skills
Verbal and non-verbal communication
A leader is only capable of accomplishing the difficult tasks by effective leading, monitoring,
planning and communicating well. There is a distinct role of effective communications skills
which can help to motivate and inspire their colleagues to work for achieving their dream goals.
The clinical leadership ability indicates the ability to direct, take charge, encourage and help
others for having an attitude that can enable them to convince others and make them follow their
goals. Collier and Rosch, in 2016, identified that for developing leadership skills, the nurse
should be result oriented, well trained and should also be an expert in controlling difficult
situations that can help them to enhance the working output (Collier and Rosch, 2016).
Communication would include verbal as well as non-verbal communication that can help other
students or nurses participate more towards learning and contribute for achieving their goals.
This would also bring into consideration the ability of students from different racial backgrounds
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and communities to participate equally for activities that are directed for their own benefit
(Frankel and PGCMS, 2018).
Interpersonal relationship
According to Ha and Pepin, the development of leadership would also involve the ability of the
nurse to develop and mature interpersonal relationship with their peers and patients and this
should be incorporated into their mission statements. The leadership programs also focus on
community-oriented and relationship-focused study models (Ha and Pepin, 2018, pp.37-43.).
This includes attentiveness, collaboration, motivation and confidence that can help the nurse to
develop the interpersonal relationship with their patients, caretakers and their team members.
According to Dugan, et al., the research suggests that the development of the interpersonal
relationship would involve working on two major models which are the transformational and
transactional models (Dugan, et al., 2013). The transformational model suggests a motivational
role of leader to create an increased sense of shared responsibility between the team members
and the leader. On the other hand, the transactional model would utilize the skills of the team
members to aid the team performance and encourages the team members to work in exchange of
rewards. These models are being interchangeably used by the leaders to drive the performance of
their team and should be actively imbibed in the nursing curriculum for increasing the
performance towards patient’s benefit (Ha and Pepin, 2017).
Problem-solving ability
Motivation
The framework of developing leadership skills includes the ability to possess competency in
their leadership skills, self-efficacy, along with the motivation that can put forward the efforts for
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leading their peer groups. It is essential for a manager to develop and ensure adequate
participation, association, responsibility, and managing the valued systems from their team.
Collier and Rosch agreed that research says that the leader should be able to provide motivation,
confidence and continued guidance to their team which will enable the members to work for
patient’s betterment that will ultimately help to accomplish their career goals. This would also
include the leader to identify the personal goals of each of the team members and work in a
unified way by telling them their individual targets and the way by which they can accomplish
them (Collier and Rosch, 2016).
Active learning skills
The leader should also be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each of the team
member. Once this is identified, it is the duty of the lead nurse to direct and instruct the team to
work in a way that enhances their performance, individually as well as the teamwork. According
to Kelly, et al., in 2014, the leader should also be able to adjust the way of working in a way that
keeps in mind the intellectual level as well as the maturity of his/her employees. This does not
refer the age of the person but moreover means and refers to the stability, ability to handle
complex situations and patient’s choices, potential to handle and achieve given target, ensure the
safety of the patient on behalf of the work done by their team nurses (Ha and Pepin, 2018).
Balance between leadership and learning
Along with this, the lead nurse should also have a unique balance between the way the quality of
work is handled with an effective team understanding and apathy. It is believed that a leader
must adjust his leadership style by keeping in mind the intellectual level and maturity of the
employees. Here maturity does not refer to the sensitivity or age, but it means work stability,
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tendency to handle complex situations, the potential of achieving a given target. Studies
conducted by Laschinger and Fida, in 2014, proved that effective leaders always try to maintain
a good balance by adjusting the leadership method which further has an influence on
communication.
Task accomplishment
Time management
Along with the ability to drive the tasks, the leader should also be able to manage their time in a
way that allows them to live their personal lives. The professional work should not be harming
their individual goals and personal choices. Also, it is important for the person to develop the
ability to work in a smarter way that can help them to drive meaningful things for increasing the
team’s performance and develop the people in their team. This would not only lead to personal
success but will also contribute towards growth and recognition of the organization. Reem, et al.,
agreed that effective leaders are the ones who are able to manage their time and organize their
work well with the help of their team who can maximize the output (Reem, et al., 2014).
Decision making
Decision making would enable the leader to make the appropriate choice and the correct way of
doing things which turns out to be the best-chosen action at that time and in that situation. This
would be the skills of the lead nurse which will help them to adopt the best form of practice and
identify the most suitable alternative for the situation. This skill can be implemented in their
work along with the choice of deciding the person who will suitably be involved for the patient’s
benefit. According to Ross, et al., the leader should be able to keep their personal emotions out
of their work which will help them to pick the correct stand for the team (Ross, et al., 2018). The
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lead nurse would be the person who will be followed by others and therefore should be picking
decisions that can improve the reliability and team integrity along with an advantage in the cases
of any uncertainty.
Conclusion
Developing effective leadership skills means holding the trust which the team members can keep
upon the lead nurse and can follow them blindly. It also means that the person would be the first
point of contact in case if an emergency and therefore it entitles significant responsibility for the
person. The leader is the person who is able to energize, handle and support the team in every
aspect of their professional journey (Victoroff, et al., 2009). The literature review, here, presents
most of the skills that can be imbibed to develop effective leadership skills and its influence in
the role of a person.
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References
Chappell, K.B., Richards, K.C. and Barnett, S.D., 2014. New graduate nurse transition programs
and clinical leadership skills in novice RNs. Journal of Nursing Administration, 44(12), pp.659-
668.
Collier, D.A. and Rosch, D.M., 2016. Effects Associated with Leadership Program Participation
in International Students Compared to Domestic Students. Journal of Leadership
Education, 15(4).
Dugan, J.P., Fath, K.Q., Howes, S.D., Lavelle, K.R. and Polanin, J.R., 2013. Developing the
leadership capacity and leader efficacy of college women in science, technology, engineering,
and math fields. Journal of leadership studies, 7(3), pp.6-23.
Frankel, A. and PGCMS, R., 2018. What leadership styles should senior nurses
develop?. Practice, 10, p.18.
Ha, L. and Pepin, J., 2017. Experiences of nursing students and educators during the co-
construction of clinical nursing leadership learning activities: A qualitative research and
development study. Nurse education today, 55, pp.90-95.
Ha, L. and Pepin, J., 2018. Clinical nursing leadership educational intervention for first-year
nursing students: A qualitative evaluation. Nurse education in practice, 32, pp.37-43.
Kelly, L.A., Wicker, T.L. and Gerkin, R.D., 2014. The relationship of training and education to
leadership practices in frontline nurse leaders. Journal of Nursing Administration, 44(3), pp.158-
163.
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Laschinger, H.K.S. and Fida, R., 2014. New nurses burnout and workplace wellbeing: The
influence of authentic leadership and psychological capital. Burnout Research, 1(1), pp.19-28.
Reem, A.D., Kitsantas, P. and Maddox, P.J., 2014. The impact of residency programs on new
nurse graduates' clinical decision-making and leadership skills: A systematic review. Nurse
Education Today, 34(6), pp.1024-1028.
Ross, C., Olson, J.K., Kushner, K.E., Murad, S.S., Leung, W.S.W., Daniels, S., Applin, M. and
Eaton, T., 2018. Student Preparation for Nursing Leadership: Lessons from an Undergraduate
Programs Review. International journal of nursing education scholarship, 15(1).
Victoroff, K.Z., Schneider, K. and Perry, C., 2009. Tomorrow’s leaders, starting today: a pilot
leadership development program for dental students. Journal of Dental Education, 73(3),
pp.311-318.
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