Question

Select one of the above leadership theories or style.

Situational or Contingency Leadership

Servant Leadership

Transformational or Transactional Leadership

Rational Leadership

Clinical Leadership

Congruent Leadership

Describe how you might use the leadership theory in your future APN role.

From your experience as a professional nurse, give one example of the selected leadership theory or style as seen in action or provide an exemplary example.

Answer 1

I opt for Transformational or Transactional Leadership

Transformational leader can point out the problems of a member working in a group.From this perspective,the leader can work towards training and developing a follower who is having difficulties in a job.

With healthcare services constantly adapting to trends and policies, healthcare professionals especially nurses, are having to lead, organise and deliver care in an increasingly challenging and changing environment

Advanced nurse practitioners have a responsibility to understand the increasing complex demands on the National health service including the ageing population and innovations in clinical treatments.Rose (2015) highlights that advanced nurse practitioners are required to have an understanding of the necessity of responding to and influencing changes in healthcare policy and practice. As such, strategic and clinical leadership are integral to the advanced nurse practitioner’s role. Cook (2001) believes that leadership is as much about having the correct attitude and behavior as it is about skills and knowledge.

The most documented leadership style in healthcare is Transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is considered to be the gold standard of leadership.

The work of Burns (1978) which was further developed by Bass and Avolio (1994) demonstrated that transformational leadership is central in nursing, this has been validated by its proven influence on staff satisfaction, patient outcomes and safety culture (Cummings et el, 2012). Transformational leaders are believed to put nurses and nursing first; are positive under pressure and form connections with their followers. They also act as a role model and effective mentor while adhering to a core set of values These attributes enable the transformational leader to motivate, empower and inspire others to achieve a long-term vision with organizational goals as well as career goals. Bawafaa et el (2015) also suggests that outcomes associated with transformational leadership include reduced stress, increased collaboration and teamwork and increased intention to remain in the nursing profession. However, Mannix et el (2013) and Marquis and Huston (2017) suggest that transformational leaders may require ‘Transactional’ leadership skills for the day-to-day management of the organization and the people in it. Transactional leadership is a task-focused style, it is suggested that in crisis situations when clear direction is required, this approach is an effective style (Giltinane, 2013)

Characteristics of a Transformational Leader in Nursing

• Is a model of integrity and fairness
• Sets clear goals
• Has high expectations
• Encourages others
• Provides support and recognition
• Stirs people’s emotions
• Gets people to look beyond self-interest
• Inspires people
• Nurse leaders motivate staff to reach goals that align with a healthcare organization or facility's vision or mission. An example would be a facility's goal to increase patient satisfaction. The nurse leader would set goals to improve customer service, collaboratively develop an initiative or initiatives, and measure results (i.e., a patient survey) - engaging staff along the way.Keeping this example in mind, we can break it down further to illustrate the transformational model of leadership. Beginning with goal setting in the example above, the nurse leader could hold a staff meeting and include all staff in a department. He or she would then identify the reason for the goal.The nurse leader may then engage the staff and brainstorm ways to respond to call lights faster, thereby increasing patient satisfaction. He or she must encourage ideas, listen to staff, and acknowledge their concerns. They should interact respectfully with staff and remain positive throughout the brainstorming session.Once the group develops a goal and an initiative, the nurse leader may choose to pilot it. Using the prior example, let's say the group came up with an initiative to have staff spread out around the nursing unit as opposed to them being assembled at the nursing station. Being spread out may reduce the time it takes to respond. The nurse leader may choose to pilot for a few weeks or a few months and see if the number of patient complaints drops. He or she may call a follow-up meeting to present results and engage staff in their thoughts about the pilot, including how it worked and what may not have worked as well as expected.

Managers who use transformational leadership principles create a climate in which nurses have a greater commitment to their organizations and high levels of morale, job satisfaction, and work performance. Several studies have found that nurse leaders who are seen as having a transformational leadership style promote an enhanced sense of job satisfaction, well-being, and organizational commitment in their staff.