What qualities and skills provide the foundation for the development of an individual aspiring to be a nurse leader?

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Discuss the nurse leader role.  What qualities and skills provide the foundation for the development of an individual aspiring to be a nurse leader? Explain how nurses at all levels of professional practice, including working shifts on the nursing floor, implement leadership and management strategies in their roles. Provide specific examples to support your thinking. Also include discussion on where power resides in the relationship between leaders and followers, and how that power is used by both parties to promote their collective goals Post your response and respond to at least three (3) other student’s posts. To be considered for maximum point value, refer to the discussion rubric. **INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS:  POST RESPONSE TO THE DISCUSSIONS BELOW USING ONE CREDIBLE SOURCE EACH AND APA FORMAT 1. Discussion: Defining Nursing Leadership/Followership Leadership in nursing, similarly to leadership in basic life, takes many roles. Those in roles not designated as leadership roles still play a vital role in leadership. Basic understanding of this can be seen in a family setting. Perhaps there are two parents with different roles, but they both have clear designated leadership responsibilities. One provides income and decides how that income is spent and the other leads the children in their responsibilities. There are two children, and, perhaps, the older child leads the other in their responsibilities designated by the parent. That child sets an example and initiates completion of tasks. The second child does not appear to play an obvious leadership role, but, perhaps, that child teaches those tasks to friends or leads the completion of a task in class. Similarly modeled, there are designated leaders in nursing, but there are also leadership aspects involved in following, and those who do not appear to play a leadership role probably still lead in a less obvious way. Nursing hierarchy of leaderships falls into a very clear pyramid of roles. The first being the CNO followed by the director of nursing. These roles revolve around very policy driven leadership. They send mandates for lower levels to implement. Qualities and skills in these position may look very different from individual to individual, but generally involve extensive experience and competency in their field.  These skills will be more managerial and supervisory in nature. The next level will include roles of nurse managers and educators which are also involved with managerial skills, but should also include very strong communication and conflict resolution skills. These roles implement direction and assistance in nursing care.  They largely organize the staff nurses.  Staff nursing, which includes RN and LPN roles, will typically take the role of action and implementation. While they do not have an obvious leadership title, their leadership is boundless. They lead individual patients in their care. The lead unlicensed assistive personal in patient care. All of these roles play a vital part in the system of patient care. Qualities that all of these roles will have in common are problem solving skills, attention to detail, communication, caring, etc. The idea of a specific skill set to designate a role is a newer concept. Different facilities began designating required competencies to defend the ability to perform a job. This concept was extremely useful in designing roles and programs to prepare those roles. Leadership competencies are being greatly built up in current time. “Leadership-competency development cannot be left to a handful of individuals on campus; it is the responsibility of everyone in higher education to ensure college graduates are also society’s leaders” (Seemiller, 2016). To say that power resides in one role would be incorrect. Without all roles playing their part, the other roles would fall apart. It is a common fallacy that the most power resides with the leader. The most power resides within the first follower. Without someone to take the first step at implementing the leaders’ initiatives, the system would crumble. This is why leadership is being stressed in educational programs. There are so many types of leadership, infinite roles where leadership can be implemented, and countless opportunities to demonstrate leadership. The power resides in the ability for a collective group to make change and achieve the goals/missions of that group.

2.Leading could seemingly come natural to some individuals, however, taking the time to learn what it takes to be a truly effective leader can make a huge difference is how a team functions. Specifically, for a team in the healthcare setting, certain qualities are significantly important to possess. By considering human behavior, tendencies, and psychological processes we can understand these qualities and how they are advantageous for a nurse leader to possess. Many researchers have conducted studies and collected data to reach conclusions on how human attributes influence leading and following. Useful tools to look at are Gardner’s Tasks of Leading/Managing Applied to Practice, Management, and Executive Positions, as well as Bleich’s Tasks of Followership (Yoder-Wise, 2018). Throughout reviewing the research, such as the ones mentioned, many similar characteristics are seen to be valuable to both leader and follower. For example, collaboration, accountability, advocating for what is right, eliminating passiveness, always focusing on the goal, while learning and growing, individually and as a whole are all at the core of many definitions presented through research. There is so much that plays into the team dynamic, every situation is unique and there is usually more than one right way to do things, so with all of that being said it is very interesting to consider what is to come as one aspires to be a nurse leader. Specific examples that my brain wanders to has to do with emotional intelligence. Bluepoint Leadership Development (2013) debriefs emotional intelligence and its impact on leadership and most of what was discussed elicited a heavy train of thought for me! Ever since I had the opportunity to learn what emotional intelligence was, I have reflected on it throughout my day-to-day life. Thinking about it within the profession of nursing, I see clearly how it plays a role. Gregg Thompson talks about how great leaders can harness the power of emotions, both within themselves and when working with others and their emotions. In the medical field, emotions can be seen left and right. You have staff interacting (like any other profession), but then you have the weight of dealing with other human lives. This will always elicit emotional responses. It’s no wonder a leader would need to possess a great amount of emotional intelligence in order to deliver the highest level of quality of patient care and manage their own human feelings. Also related to emotional intelligence, Thompson discusses how being a positive influence on those whom you are working with and providing care for is so important. Positive energy can fill a room, even the biggest ER’s. Filling a room with positivity results in many beneficial outcomes in any profession. Emotional intelligence relates to complicated mental processes that involve various structures in the brain, like the amygdala, insular cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which are key nodes of functional brain networks that are consistently linked with emotional experience (Hall et al. 2018, Killgore et al. 2017). So in order to reach a point within one’s self, your brain needs to be trained through experiences and challenges. A high level of emotional intelligence is not easily attained, but it is, for me personally, the most important quality to practice when working towards leadership.

1. Career development
2. Important Nurse Leadership Skills and How to Develop Them

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated February 22, 2021 | Published February 25, 2020

Updated February 22, 2021

Published February 25, 2020

Nurses are often the first medical provider that a patient interacts with, making it important for them to have interpersonal and leadership skills. Nurse leadership skills, such as communication and teamwork, can help nurses succeed in their roles. In this article, we discuss the most important nurse leadership skills, as well as tips for developing yours.

Related: Top 8 Leadership Styles - Definitions & Examples

In this video, Jenn, an Indeed Career Coach, explains the top leadership styles in management and how to identify the one that's right for you and your team.

What are nurse leadership skills?

Nurse leadership skills are the specific traits and characteristics that help a nurse succeed in their role. Nurses who have strongly developed leadership skills are more likely to provide excellent care to their patients. Leadership skills in nursing are also important for furthering the industry, creating innovative treatment and care plans and better meeting the needs of patients.

Nurse leadership skills can include both hard and soft skills. Nurses with soft leadership skills like teamwork and communication will work more collaboratively in a team toward overall success. Nurses with hard leadership skills like a good work ethic and organization will efficiently handle the administrative tasks of the role while also setting a good example for other nursing professionals.

Why is nurse leadership important?

Nurse leadership is important because the skill level of the nurse directly affects the level of care the patient receives. As the nursing industry improves and more nurses step up to accept responsibility and become innovative leaders in the industry, patients are met with better medical care. Leadership skills are important in the nursing industry, regardless of where you are at in your career. Even if you aren't a manager, you can use leadership skills to motivate your team to be more efficient and productive.

Nurse leadership skills are important for the following reasons:

• They encourage good patient care.

• They lead to an organized medical department with fewer errors.

• They entice positive change in the medical industry.

• They increase the expectations for incoming nursing professionals.

Related: Task-Oriented Leadership: Definition and Examples

Skills for nurse leadership

The following skills are important to have as a nurse leader:

Teamwork

Nurse leaders are integral team members. They interact, communicate and assist other team members, striving for the best possible care for patients.

Communication

Strong verbal and written communication skills allow nurses to communicate in an effective and clear method.

Mentorship

Nurse leaders have the skills and tools needed to guide and mentor other nurses to also become leaders in their positions.

Life-learners

Nurse leaders recognize that the nursing industry is constantly changing and that there are always ways available to improve upon existing skills. Leaders in the nursing industry make it a point to stay informed. They keep up with the latest best practices in the nursing field. They also stay current with continuing education, working to overcome areas in which they lack skills.

Innovative/creative

Leaders in the nursing industry are also innovators. They can step outside of the norm and transform modern healthcare in a way that works better for the patients.

Flexibility

The role of a nurse is ever-changing, and the ability to be flexible and adapt to new environments provides nurses with the confidence and morale they need to be leaders.

Dedication

A dedication to the nursing industry is important—especially as an entry-level nurse—to keep excellent patient care at the top of mind, even when working in stressful work environments.

Nurse leaders work well on a team with other medical providers, while also accepting responsibility for their own position. They are constantly looking for ways to improve the care of their patients, making the way for an improved industry.

Related: How to Demonstrate Leadership Skills at Work

How to develop nurse leadership skills

You can become a nurse leader by developing important skills and traits. Here's how to begin:

1. Work on being self-aware.

2. Determine your goals.

3. Continue to learn.

4. Seek out additional responsibilities.

5. Keep the patient in mind.

1. Work on being self-aware

Being self-aware is the first step toward becoming a nurse leader. Consider which leadership traits you have and which ones you can improve. Write out a list of the most important nurse leadership skills and determine how developed each skill is. Continue to be self-aware as you increase your experience as a nurse.

Related: Transferable Skills: Definitions and Examples

2. Determine your goals

The best way to develop important skills is to set measurable goals. Make a list of the skills you would like to develop in the short- and long-term, then determine what steps you will take to reach these goals. Be specific and direct with these steps, deciding how you will measure the success of your goals. Consider using the SMART system to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based.

Related: SMART Goals: Definition and Examples

3. Continue to learn

The medical industry is quickly changing, making it crucial to keep up with the latest trends. Whether you attend nursing conferences, subscribe to a nursing publication, read medical books or continue to attend an academic nursing program, nurse leaders are always working to improve their knowledge in the nursing industry.

4. Seek out additional responsibilities

By seeking out additional responsibilities in your current position, you can demonstrate leadership qualities. Fill in when additional support is needed or take initiative to assist other staff with patient tasks. If your employer offers ongoing training groups or volunteer programs, you can also use these opportunities to highlight additional work characteristics, including leadership.

5. Keep the patient in mind

Nurse leaders should be compassionate and empathetic. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day role of the busy nurse. While organized work stations and carefully detailed paperwork are important in the medical industry, it is crucial to always keep the patient in mind. Continue to work on skills in empathy and understanding and you will find that compassion and patient-centered care comes easy.