Leadership styles in nursing can have an impact on the quality of care that patients receive and on the ultimate outcome of their treatments. The type of leadership style nursing managers employ also has a large impact on the job satisfaction of their team. Exploring different nursing leadership styles can help you decide which can work best in your own medical facility.
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In this article, we discuss why leadership in nursing is important, share seven different types of leadership styles and the different qualities of nursing leadership and explain how you can demonstrate leadership as a nurse, regardless of whether you’re currently in a leadership role.
Why is leadership important in nursing?
Leadership in nursing is important as it’s one of the key factors for inspiring, influencing and motivating nurses to offer the best possible care to patients. Great nurse leaders serve as role models and create environments that make other staff members enthusiastic and passionate about the work they do. Nurse leaders encourage other nurses to conduct themselves in a professional manner and provide guidance and tools to exceed their performance. Strong leadership motivates nurses to work more effectively as part of a team.
Effective nurses have interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively and promptly deliver treatment and care. Nurse leaders encourage their teams to communicate clearly as this allows for an efficient workaround in the facility. They raise the quality of care in the facility by analyzing the work processes of nurses and the facility and looking for ways to improve them. They take steps to make changes if they notice a shift in the performance of their team while routinely evaluating themselves and others to improve overall performance. Nurse leaders maintain rigorous nursing standards and ensure that all follow safety protocols.
7 types of leadership styles in nursing
Seven common types of leadership styles in nursing are as follows:
1. Autocratic leadership
Also called authoritarian leadership, this type of leader is highly disciplined and a quick thinker. Autocratic leaders make all the decisions themselves, delegate tasks and give specific directions to other nurses and staff members. They typically don’t ask for input from other team members and may withhold information from them.
This style of leadership works best in emergency situations when it’s necessary to be assertive to be able to give directions with confidence. It can also be beneficial when the leader needs to ensure strict adherence to medical or legal guidelines. It doesn’t work well to encourage problem-solving, teamwork, camaraderie and developing trust among team members.
2. Laissez-fair leadership
This type of leadership offers minimal amounts of supervision and takes a stand-back approach. Laissez-faire leaders rarely provide specific guidance or direction and usually let the group decide how to handle situations without constant supervision or micromanagement. They typically work to create teams in which they’re confident to do their jobs well. Nurses with a Laissez-faire leadership style usually work according to their preferences. They’re responsible for setting their own goals, solving any issues that arise during the course of their workday and making their own decisions.
This type of leadership style works best in situations where the staff is highly educated, skilled and self-motivated. A Laissez-faire leadership style doesn’t work well in environments where other nurses or staff members are inexperienced or cannot successfully manage their time. This style of leadership is also unsuitable in emergency situations that require quick thinking and decision-making.
3. Democratic leadership
Democratic leadership in nursing seeks feedback from team members and encourages communication. Democratic leaders are careful to maintain their decision-making authority. They encourage others to provide their opinions and feedback, listen to their coworkers and make their team members feel involved. Their primary focus is to work collaboratively and develop strong working relationships among members to be successful as a team.
This style of nursing leadership works well for building relationships based on accountability and trust. It also works well when the leader focuses heavily on improving processes, quality assurance, improving others’ performance and fostering diversity and inclusion. It can be problematic in situations when a decision requires resolution quickly, as receiving feedback from other team members isn’t feasible.
4. Transformational leadership
Sometimes referred to as a visionary leadership style, this type of leader in nursing focuses on encouraging team members to give their best in order to achieve a common mission. This style of leadership is beneficial for building productive and engaged teams and works well in medical facilities where big changes and improvements are necessary. Transformational nurse leaders excel at mentoring other nurses and encouraging them to take ownership and work independently. It’s somewhat less effective in environments where a nurse leader is responsible for day-to-day decision-making for specific issues.
5. Servant leadership
This type of nursing leadership style is growing in popularity as it’s focused on the needs of individual team members while ensuring that they have the skills and tools they need to achieve both their individual and group goals. Servant nurse leaders focus heavily on serving patients within the medical facility and working hard to ensure the best possible outcome. They have effective active listening skills and an ability to influence and motivate others. They’re empathetic and great at developing a team. It’s one of the best leadership styles for building trust.
This type of leadership style works well when a nurse leader has a diverse team with different responsibilities and tasks. It’s less ideal in environments where the entire group needs to follow a collective set of instructions.
6. Situational leadership
This is a flexible type of leadership style. The nurse leader modifies their leadership style based on the needs of the organization. With situational leadership, the nurse leader must analyze the situation within the organization in order to determine the approach that’s most appropriate. Nurse leaders have the freedom to modify their management styles as necessary. The major drawback of this style is that situational leaders often divert from the long-term strategies and goals of the organization.
7. Coaching leadership
With this leadership style, the nurse leader primarily focuses on the development of the nursing team and staff. They aspire to help their team members understand their strengths and weaknesses and set goals to help them with their professional development. This is a great leadership style for helping team members grow professionally as it provides positive long-term results for the organization. The main drawbacks of the coaching leadership style are that it can take some time to establish and team members must be receptive to receiving feedback.
What are the qualities of nursing leadership?
Some of the essential qualities of effective nursing leadership are:
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Integrity: Personal integrity is critical for making the right choices with patient care. Nurse leaders also need to be able to teach and use ethical practices to new nurses to help them make the best decisions for patients.
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Critical thinking: Nurse leaders need to be able to use critical thinking abilities to make proper decisions based on complex information. There’s an increasing trend of autonomy for registered nurses, so critical thinking is becoming an essential skill for all nurse practitioners.
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Communication: Communication and collaboration are critical within the health care system. Nurse leaders must encourage communication among nurses, physicians and other staff to provide patients with quality care and ensure the best possible outcome.
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Respect: Nurse leaders motivate and inspire others and, in doing so, earn the trust and respect of their team members. To facilitate this, nurse leaders can encourage open communication and feedback to promote an environment where team members can engage one another in a manner that’s positive and productive.
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Professionalism: Nursing leaders play an important role in liaising between executive leaders and the nursing team within the ever-evolving healthcare environment. It’s critical that they maintain their professionalism in order to positively influence others within their field.
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Reliability: This is a key quality that nurse leaders must demonstrate, as other nurses and health care professionals rely on them to provide direction in their day-to-day tasks.
How do nursing leadership styles impact patients?
Nursing leadership styles can have a significant impact on patient outcomes. The transformational leadership style, for example, relates tp a reduction in medication errors and treatment complications, as this style appears to encourage nurses to perform job-related tasks more carefully. Some of the other leadership styles also result in better treatment and care, which results in lower patient mortality. Certain leadership styles have a positive impact on patient treatment outcomes and satisfaction and tend to result in patients who are happier with the service they receive while in the medical facility.
How to demonstrate leadership as a nurse
Whether you hold a leadership position in nursing, there are certain steps you can take to demonstrate leadership as a nurse. Here are some steps you can take:
1. Be proactive
Nursing leaders are proactive and take positive action when they identify problems or inconsistencies. For example, if a patient complains that a bed is uncomfortable, they analyze the problem and place a request for them to receive a new bed. If you notice that a certain patient has a heightened risk of falling, be proactive in taking steps to reduce the likelihood of this happening. Show your nursing managers that you’re proactive about addressing issues that you encounter throughout your day.
2. Be fast to respond in a crisis
While all nurses are ready to respond to emergencies, make a habit of being fast to respond in a crisis and the first to offer help, especially in inconvenient situations. For example, if there’s a shortage of nurses to cover shifts, be the first to volunteer to cover an additional shift. This level of commitment shows that you value the safety and well-being of patients, which is the mark of a great leader. Being fast and accurate in discharging your duties shows that you think quickly but critically and can set you on the path toward becoming a nurse leader.
3. Volunteer to serve on committees
Consider volunteering to serve on committees, as medical facilities often need nurses to help in forming committees and providing their expert opinions. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your initiative and leadership skills. This can show management that you’re dedicated to making your healthcare facility the best as possible. Volunteering to serve on committees can also give you the opportunity to potentially create a positive change in your workplace.
4. Seek additional education
Consider pursuing additional certifications or degrees to improve your skills as a nurse and your abilities as a leader. Certain degrees, such as a master’s degree in nursing leadership, can help you qualify for more advanced positions within the healthcare industry. Your commitment to personal and professional development can show your manager that you’re focused on optimizing your performance. This can ultimately lead to more professional advancement opportunities.
I hope you find this article helpful.
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