Transformational Leadership
Type: Research Paper
Subject: Nursing Leadership Course
Subject area: Nursing
Education Level: Undergraduate/College
Length: 4 pages
Referencing style: APA
Preferred English: US English
Spacing Option: Double
Title: Philosophy of Nursing Leadership
Instructions: For this assignment, you will choose a leadership theory that aligns with your philosophy on nursing leadership. Reflect on how you have grown throughout your nursing career, including the time you have spent pursuing your baccalaureate degree. Choose a leadership theory that best matches your beliefs as a baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse. Define and explain your chosen leadership theory. Discuss how your leadership philosophy has evolved throughout your nursing career and how you envision yourself as a leader in the future. Provide examples of how you have and will use this theory as a nurse leader.
Important notes: I would like to use Transformational Leadership, as inspire individuals to work at optimal, allows their voices to be heard and encourage teamwork. please see the attach rubic and the above instructions.
Introduction
In the nursing environment, it is important for the nurse leaders to utilize effective leadership to achieve an optimal patient outcome. In most cases, an effective nurse leadership ensures workplace enhancement. Transformational leadership is a conceptual theory which has dominated the nursing leadership. Although there has been theoretical framework regarding various leadership features, the persuasive evidence shows that robust debate regarding the significance of transformational model remains evident. Today, nurses are operating in an environment which is overflowed with various issues and opportunities. Despite these challenges, the nurses remain grossly uninspired and the over-supportive environment is important. The transformational leadership is the only model which can inspire followers; hence, maximize patient outcomes. Given the significance of this nursing leadership philosophy, it has proved critical to reflect and relate it to the current nursing practices.
Transformational Leadership
Traditionally, nurses have never experienced a free hand to manage and control their operations. For a long time, these professionals have been led inadequately and micromanaged despite facing unprecedented challenges (Frandsen, 2014). The changes which organizations experience require a flexible and adaptive leadership that seem to fit transformational leadership. The transformational leadership embraces shared responsibilities which have ensured news methods of operations are created. In a study conducted by Gousy and Green (2015), it emerged that transformational leadership is meant to motivate workers because it appeals to higher moral values and ideas, in which managers or leaders hold set of internal ideas and moral values. As a result, the followers would act and behave in a way of sustaining the greater good instead of pursuing self-interests. This leadership philosophy creates a supportive environment which allows the followers and leaders to share responsibility. Interestingly, transformational leadership has proved critical in nursing because of its four components, such as individual consideration, inspirational motivation, idealized influence, and intellectual stimulation (Doody & Doody, 2012).
Application of Transformational Leadership in Nursing
In the modern healthcare environment, nurses are placed in strong leadership roles. In most cases, these nurses would be effective where the nursing supervisors, managers, and leaders exhibit strong leadership qualities. It is never a surprise to many nurses that the leadership model and morale set by these leaders would correlate with the nursing staff’s outcome and attitudes. Studies have demonstrated that leadership styles are varied but leaders need to manifest these forms of leadership based on the environment (Frandsen, 2014). The modern nurse leaders have found intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, and individualized considerations to be the main components of their conventional leadership. Transformational leaders are known for engaging with others to increase their morality and motivational levels.
Nursing is a unique profession which must utilize the qualities of transformational leadership in practice. This is because nurses require hard work, compassion, and must be ready to integrate into a hierarchy structure of leadership which has proved to overburden. Nurses are strategically placed to transform healthcare regarding the work practices (Hutchinson & Jackson, 2013). Without a doubt, this profession continues to grow; hence, making them a force for transforming the healthcare.
Reflection
As a baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse, I must reiterate the significance of hospitals in providing educational resources, which have ensured I become a leader whose performance is above board. Immediately from college, the hospital which I joined offered an orientation program as a new nurse. I have learned from a baccalaureate nursing college that for an individual to succeed in this dynamic healthcare environment, it is critical for the organization to offer an on-site training to allow nurses to assume the management roles (Hutchinson & Jackson, 2013). These efforts acknowledge the multifaceted roles which nurses play in their daily activities. In becoming a nurse leader, I have pursued different self-paced programs and program delivery models. These programs were tailored towards improving my leadership potential. The methodologies I have pursued to become a transformational leader including coaching, mentoring, lectures, and workshops.
The Nurse Manager Skills Inventory program, I managed to identify my competencies. Through the interactions with varies established nurse leaders, I acquired relevant skills because they mentored and coached me effectively. Since healthcare has proved to be a complex area, the potential for changes despite the social and economic pressure is important. This is only upon which the safety and quality of patient care can be guaranteed. With nurses being the professionals handling patients directly, they are positioned to improve the services and develop new policies (Fischer, 2017). For the healthcare to improve and adopt new policies, the nursing professionals need leadership skills. I must acknowledge the significance of these changes to the clinical practices. Therefore, the transformational leadership competencies expose nurses to relevant skills meant to improve safety and quality patient care; hence enhance career satisfaction.
As a nurse, I have always been on the forefront in applying the transformational leadership in my practice. Through the training I have received, I have learned to conduct an initial assessment of patient’s situation and develop the leadership plans to benefit my key followers as demonstrated by Gousy and Green (2015). Given my profession, I have been placed at the forefront of managing change in response to the dynamic healthcare settings. To this effect, I have, on several occasions, engaged nurses to implement these service-led improvements. I have discovered that I acquired transformational leadership because I brought about the service-led changes in the workplace environment. This ensured I optimize patient care because I liaised with staff and other nurses to determine an evaluation strategy. Therefore, transformational leadership skills have proved critical in empowering and engaging nurses and staff; hence, achieving the aims of the organization.
Given the qualities I possess, I must acknowledge that I am a transformational leader. This is because I have the capacity to motivate followers and build strong relationships based on the shared mission and vision. Indisputably, I always used charisma in communicating the vision and act confidently thus inspire others including staff and team members. I have further encouraged the team thus let the members know that they are relevant and critical to achieving the team’s goals. In fact, encouraging and praising my fellow team members have proved my ability as a transformational leader (Frandsen, 2014). These are qualities which are in tandem with the transformational leadership model. I shall continue using them to improve patient care outcome and quality.
Conclusion
Nurse leaders play crucial roles in advancing the interests of followers and others. As evident in this paper, it important for nurse leaders to exhibit critical characteristics of leadership models to allow them to act in different situations. Despite the leadership activity required, the leaders have to act with integrity, community clearly and set realistic goals, which can encourage and motivate the followers. The actions of any leader will reflect the behaviors of the staff in delivery care services. Transformational leadership philosophy defines the future of nursing.
References
- Doody, O. and Doody, C.M. (2012). Transformational Leadership in Nursing Practice. British Journal of Nursing, 21(20), 1217-8.
- Fischer, S.A. (2017). Developing Nurses’ Transformational Leadership Skills. Nursing Standard, 31(51), 54-63.
- Frandsen, B. (2014). Nursing Leadership: Management and Leadership Styles. AANAC. Retrieved from https://www.aanac.org/docs/white-papers/2013-nursing-leadership—management-leadership-styles.pdf?sfvrsn=4.
- Gousy, M. and Green, K. (2015). Developing a Nurse-Led Clinic Using Transformational Leadership. Nursing Standard, 29(30), 37-41.
- Hutchinson, M. and Jackson, D. (2013). Transformational Leadership in Nursing: Towards a More Critical Interpretation. Nursing Inquiry, 20(1), 11-22.
