Management theory in nursing
Introduction
An organization that relies on many components for the execution of a task needs the various components to work in harmony for the achievement of the main objective. Where the input to this process is composed of human capital, the process is leadership/ management. Management therefore, is the guidance of different individuals in accomplishment of individual tasks towards the accomplishment of the mains task. Nursing is human resource intensive occupation, with the nurses being an integral component towards the successful accomplishment of nursing. The manner in which the nurses, therefore, conduct their duties is important for the success of the profession.
The nursing profession therefore, requires a strong sense of direction. This sense of direction is attained by incorporating results oriented management. This paper seeks to establish the main leadership styles used in the nursing profession. Different leadership styles are necessary for different scenarios. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Autocratic, democratic and Laissez-faire styles of management.
Autocratic leadership style is one where the leader makes unilateral decisions without consultation. The leader makes the decisions and enforces their compliance. Communication with this leadership is from the top down. The head nurse for instance issues instruction to the nurses under them and expects their execution without faltering. This style of leadership is effective in some situations in nursing. In a crisis for instance where there needs a rapid response, the application of this style ensures that there is no time lost on consultation between staff. The method is also useful in effecting change of culture, in the workplace. Introduction of a new way of handling situations is in instances, best implemented by autocratic leadership. Authoritarian style, when well implemented is very useful in nursing since the lives of people are dependent of the action/ inaction of the nurses. (Nurs Manag, 2006)
Demerits of autocratic leadership in nursing
While authoritarian style of leadership is useful, it has several disadvantages. The absolute power placed on the leader might make them egotistical and ignorant. Egotistical leaders stir resentment in their subordinates, which may lead to them to execute tasks as directed of them without putting any extra effort. Execution of tasks as directed, without making amends to arising situations takes motivation from the need to sabotage the leader, (Huber, 2006).
Democratic style of leadership in nursing
Democratic style of leadership is where the leader involves the staff below them in the decision making process. This style incorporates both lateral and horizontal communication where the leader encourages everyone to share his or her views regarding the issue. This style encourages cohesion between members of the team. Consultation improves understanding between nurses, who improves the working atmosphere. This style of leadership is important where the leader wants a cooperative working environment rather than a competitive one. This style of leadership is useful in highly skilled, self-driven nurses who have a high level of motivation for their work (Huber, 2006).
Demerits of democratic style of leadership
While this style of leadership is useful, it is not suitable for all types of scenarios. This leadership emphasizes on the freedom of the nurses. While independence motivates productivity, it is not ideal in a crisis, as reaction time determines the level of success. Authoritarian leadership is more efficient in these situations than democratic leadership style, (J Nurs Manag, 2006).
Laissez-faire style of leadership
This is a laid-back approach to leadership. There is no clear authority structure in this leadership, and everyone does his or her will. This leadership is useful in a situation where the nurses are highly skilled, motivated by their work, and minimally dependent on supervision and instructions from their leaders.
Demerits of laissez-faire style of leadership
This leadership is not ideal in the nursing profession, as it needs accountability for the actions of each team player. Laissez-faire style of leadership does not promote accountability, which may lead to task confusion and lack of drive among the nurses.
Conclusion
Each leadership style is useful in when applied to suitable situations. The nurse leader should identify the leadership style best suited to each situation in getting the required outcome. Often, leadership in nursing employs a combination of aspects from each style of leadership. Lippitt’s change theory (Mitchell, 2013), nurses are trained over several phases on change of working culture, by introduction of a change agent. The agent is withdrawn after the nurses have attained familiarity with the process. This approach is one of the many synthesized versions of leadership employed in the nursing practice.
References
Huber, D. (2006). Leadership and nursing care management. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
Leadership styles in nursing management: prefer [J Nurs Manag. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16787469
Mitchell, G. (2013) 'Selecting the best theory to implement planned change', Nursing Management, 20, (1), pp. 32-37. | Gary Mitchell - Academia.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/3112551/Mitchell_G._2013_Selecting_the_best_theory_to_implement_planned_change_Nursing_Management_20_1_pp._32-37
What is your leadership style? - Corpus Christi Workplace Issues | Examiner.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-your-leadership-style
