In a general perspective, when people speak on leadership they see it as a crucial matter. Personally, I see it clearly in this view. Being a leader is not an easy task; a person should possess an exemplary qualities. Commonly, leadership is an action or ways to lead a group of people or any organization. As I witness leadership, it is illustrated as a social influence processed to a person who has the ability to assist and support other people in the achievement of a common mission or goal. Alternatively, some people understand that being a leader is someone who has followers and the leader guides them on every step they made in their journey. For example, in the institution where I belong I have seen the real attribute of a leader on how he performs and go along with his followers. One thing for sure is that leadership is not directing or plainly management. One of the best attribute of a leader is that he has the ability to inspire or influence other people to do their best towards their common goal. In nursing perspective, “leadership is the key skill for nurses at all levels” . An exemplary leadership in nursing is recognized fully since before and up to present. I could attest on this perspective. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, “leadership plays a crucial role in the lives of registered nurses and is key in ensuring quality client outcomes, especially during times of significant upheaval in health care” . In addition, “nursing leadership is a critical factor in the effective functioning of nursing units, high-quality patient care, retention of nurses and organizational effectiveness” . These are the things I observed, regardless of how many years a person obtained his position with responsibilities on hand, or a newly qualified practitioner who is given utmost responsibilities, still he needs the skills and confidence for him to be capable of offering his leadership to other healthcare practitioners or assistants. The nursing profession has a vital influence in all aspects on healthcare assistance. Seeing them as practitioners, there is a necessity to exert every influence they have and perform nursing care to the public firmly and confidently.
Leadership skills are developed and applied effectively with a thorough attention. It is not possible to expect that the National Health Service or NHS in funding leadership trainings for all the nurses, however, skills are refined on its personal reflection. In addition, refining the skills is possible by following the advices of experienced leaders effectively. I would really follow these advices to refine my skills. There is a great importance to recognize that a leadership role is different from management. For further elaboration, management is an act of doing things right while leadership is an act of doing the right things. I believed that to climb the ladder of success, a person needs management efficiency. In the contrary, to determine whether the ladder leans against the right wall, a person needs leadership. This understanding between management and leadership leads to a clarification that management is all about tasks while leadership is all about judgment, philosophy, skills, and perception. As an inference, it is more difficult to become an effective leader than to become an effective manager, respectively. A leader is described as a person with vision, strategically equipped, desire, and plan to lead the team, and goal objective . With these descriptions, a leader is required to utilize problem-solving process and maintain or develop the group effectively. I see this as a significant view. I would say that a leader should be dynamic, well motivated, passionate, a good influence to others, an inspiration, and focus to solutions. Ginette Lemire Rodger, a Canadian nurse leader has suggested that a successful leader represent some primary attributes, the knowledge, and confidence to deal with uncertainty, commitment to being visible as a nurse, and the ability to translate vision to reality. Her suggestion encourages me to pursue my goals. However, to describe nurse leaders is to view them as exemplary leaders. There are positive qualities necessary for a successful nursing leader and be considered as an exemplary leader; these are optimism, integrity and respect, knowledge and expertise, teamwork and communication, and mentoring and modeling.
The excellence in the leadership in nursing continually serves as a bonding agent that holds the system of health care in every country. This is what I have seen in all health care system. This speaks the reality that is not limited to only one country or state. For example, in Jordan, nurse leaders are the stakeholders of any organization in health care internally . It only shows that nurse leadership is significant in different cultures; the nursing leadership is a nursing issue globally. Truly, these cultures are known to everyone. The excellence in nursing is the way to excellent patient care, the way to develop excellence is a strong leadership. Nurses have in mind that leaders nurture leaderships in other people and thinks sensibly with clear communication, willingness, and courage to participate a good work ethics. However, some leadership failed because of incompetence, insensitive, inflexible, unbalanced, corrupt, and narrow-minded. I could attest to this failure of leadership due to the reasons of incompetence and corruption specifically. I would say that there is no satisfaction if leaders are not available, avoids conflict unreasonably, unaware on issues in the workplace, lack of trainings, and no follow-ups on issues and concerns. It is suggested that nurse leaders should apply the good characteristics in the workplace to ensure respect and trust from his subordinates or assistants, and develop clinical practices effectively. The demonstration of an effective leadership strategies, nurses have the power to influence the success developed by other staff or professional practitioners. The standards in the profession are maintained and capable to grow competently. I admired leaders possess a driving force; they are described as a source of inspirations and role models for the future nurse leaders. Leadership of nurses functioned well on decision-making, appropriate in delegating issues, resolve any conflicts, and act with full integrity. In addition, the role of nurse leaders is to nurture others; they are aware of the feelings of the people involved in the team and sensitive to issues on emotions in particular. All the functions are the substance elements needed to bond leadership with well-developed teams or members effectively.
The explanations of the positive qualities necessary for a successful nursing leader are demonstrated with the following exemplary views. The passion of nursing is optimism; it is the ability of the nurses to deal with difficult situations and worthy in times of trouble or instability. There is a great possibility that nurse leaders are unable to persevere and provide the kind of leadership if they lack passion in their profession and sense of optimism. Disengaged leaders result in disengaged staffs; the nurse leaders who create environments that promote and support the passion of the staffs, recognize the importance of every staff, and acknowledge the importance the work could possibly create professional energy in the workplace. I acknowledge this idea because I experienced being recognized by someone in a workplace. Integrity and respect is a moral centre; nurse leaders are guided by principles, accordingly. They are grounded with their religious faith and central values. This moral centre is considered as a bonding agent that holds the system intact even in stressful moments at work. Nurse leaders trust and rely on their integrity and respect when they fell vulnerable and unconfident for some time. A nurse leader with a strong moral centre allows him to rise above difficulty and relies on his principle for support and direction. Teamwork and communication are personal connections of nurses; it is a simple connection with the staffs. Communication skills are vital to establish positive personal connections that have sense of care or concern. This is what I observed that good and proper communication brings good connections. Nurse leaders strive to demonstrate and support their team in the practice ethically. In addition, nurse leaders are patient and possess humanistic values and have tolerance for others imperfections in the workplace. They are capable to accept human faults and assist their staffs to balance the performances. If a nurse leader models a good balance, he is able to balance his priorities and respects others. Mentoring and modeling are the interest in facilitating professional growth, leaders who excel in the workplace . Nurse leaders mentor their colleagues, share their expertise unselfishly, and allow others to flourish. I flourish too with this mentoring and seeing the nurse leader as a model. In addition, nurse leaders help developed confidence of the staffs or guide their staffs with ideas, approachable in times of unsolved issues, and encourage further education to improve themselves on the knowledge-based capabilities. The key to effective leadership is to facilitate the professional accomplishments of the staff and to set objectives for others to guide and support.
Reference
Anonson, J., Walker, M. E., Arries, E., Maposa, S., Telford, P., & Berry, L. (2013). Qualities of
exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of frontline nurses. (P. Thompson, & K. Hyrkas, Eds.) Journal of Nursing Management , 22 (1), 127-136. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jonm.12092/full.
Middleton, J. (2009). Leadership Skills for Nursing. Nursing Times , 1-34.
