NURS 6053 LEADERSHIP THEORIES IN PRACTICE
Leadership is a critical aspect in nursing for nurse leaders to offer direction to subordinates, inspire and motivate them, and work in inter-professional collaboration teams. Nurse leaders implement various leadership theories based on their effectiveness in the workplace. Lifetime habits promote an individual’s leadership journey (Broome et al., 2022). Apart from the weekly course reading resources, other scholarly sources demonstrate the impact of a nurse leader’s attributes in the workplace environment.
The reviewed resources are peer-reviewed journal articles with varying levels of evidence. In their systematic review of the literature, Specchia et al. (2021) demonstrate that nurse leader’s style enhances the job satisfaction level of their subordinates. The article notes that having transformational leadership attributes leads to better performance and satisfaction of employees. The article also notes that authentic, resonant, and servant leadership styles are also important. The article by Fennell (2021) shows that the conceptualization of leadership in nursing is essential to improving the workplace environment. The article by Alsadaan et al. (2023) demonstrates that nurse leaders should have competencies, positive individual characteristics, and leadership styles to excel in their work. Pattali et al. (2024) show that leadership style influences employee turnover and suggest that nurse leaders should practice positive attributes associated with transformational and servant leadership styles. Leadership behavior influences employee performance, retention, and job satisfaction.
A situation where I have experienced leadership behavior and skills that establish a healthy work environment in practice involves our floor nurse manager. The floor nurse manager motivates nurses by being practical, encouraging, and allowing us to suggest ideas that are implemented once a majority agree. The nurse manager does not blame anyone when an error occurs but is keen on having measures that are encompassing and involve all people (Gavya et al., 2024). The manager is a keen listener and involves all people in making decisions.
These skills demonstrated by the nurse manager have been greatly effective in enabling the workplace to attain unity and work as a unit to improve patient care and safety. The open communication and active listening attributes motivate nurses and have a significant impact on our behavior and attitudes toward patients. The implication is that these attributes have established a high trust level among nurses and nurse leaders, enabling the workplace to attain better outcomes as nurses feel appreciated (Fennell, 2021). As such, the nurse turnover rate declined over the last five months with more nurses enhancing their performance levels.
References
Alsadaan, N., Salameh, B., Reshia, F. A. A. E., Alruwaili, R. F., Alruwaili, M., Awad Ali, S. A.,
… & Jones, L. K. (2023). Impact of nurse leaders behaviors on nursing staff performance: A systematic review of the literature. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 60, 00469580231178528. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580231178528
Broome, M. E., & Marshall, E. S. (2020). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert
Clinician to influential leader. Springer Publishing.
Fennell, K. (2021). Conceptualizations of leadership and relevance to health and human service
workforce development: A scoping review. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 14, 3035–3051. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S329628
Gavya, V., & Subashini, R. (2024). The Role of Leadership Styles in Fostering Organizational
Commitment Among Nurses. SAGE Open, 14(2), 21582440241242531. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241242531
Pattali, S., Sankar, J. P., Al Qahtani, H., Menon, N., & Faizal, S. (2024). Effect of leadership
Styles on turnover intention among staff nurses in private hospitals: the moderating effect of perceived organizational support. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1): 199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10674-0
Specchia, M. L., Cozzolino, M. R., Carini, E., Di Pilla, A., Galletti, C., Ricciardi, W., &
Damiani, G. (2021). Leadership styles and nurses’ job satisfaction. Results of a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1552.
