NURS 250: Reflection Part A

Reflection Part A
Ariel Brown-Berkeley
Humber College I.T.A.L.
Janet Jeffery
NURS 250
Saturday, January 24th, 2015

NURS 250: Reflection Part A

Reflection: Think about an experience where you were a leader. Using the chosen theorys
attributes as a framework, how did you meet, or not meet, your chosen style?
Upon reflection, there is a very prevalent experience dating four years ago where I
utilized the overall theory of Contingency with central focus to the Situational Theory of
Delegating proposed by Hersey and Blanchard. Contingency theory can be best described as,
how aspects of the leadership situation can alter a leaders influence on an individual
subordinate or a work group, (Kelly & Crawford, 2013). In other words, the type of leadership
approach is dependent on both internal and external variables presented during a particular
situation, (Northouse, 2013). Examples of internal variables include the competencies,
knowledge, and approachability of your coworkers or subordinates; and examples of external
variables include the availability of resources within the environment or whether your
subordinates have familiarity with the task at hand. To further classify this theory, I have chosen
a distinct category from Hersey and Blanchards Situational Theory Model, which is S4
Delegating or the Low Supportive- Low Directive Style approach to leadership (Bryman,
Collinson, Grint & Jackson, 2011).
The Delegating approach is when, the leader offers less task input and social support
however they facilitate employees confidence and motivation in reference to the task, (Bryman
et al., 2011). In addition to the above description, this style of leadership allows for subordinates
or coworkers to take ownership and responsibility for completing the task. This can also be seen
as an intrinsic form of motivation for each of the subordinates as each of them will feel
responsible for contributing to a part of the task (Pink, 2009). The additional aspect of the
Delegating approach is the development level of each subordinate. This means the degree of

NURS 250: Reflection Part A

competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task (Kelly & Crawford, 2013).
Therefore, in order for this approach to be successful the subordinates must have a high degree
of competence and commitment to the task, which, in my personal story they demonstrated both
(Northouse, 2013).
My personal story illustrates a particular situation where it was in the best interest of the
group to use the Delegating approach. Four years ago I attend military training in Montreal,
Quebec. Over the course of three days my group of ten cadets had been working through various
situational missions, and on the fourth day it was my turn to protect the Forward Operating Base
(F.O.B), which is a term used to describe a military base that is used to support tactical
operations. The task was straightforward; I had to keep my subordinates safe, and ward off any
threatening or terrorist style attacks to the F.O.B. From the start, I debriefed my subordinates on
the overall end goal, all the while delegating separate tasks for each pair of cadets. One pair was
to keep watch of the main road leading to the entrance gate, the second was in charge of keeping
lookout in the watch tower, and the last group was to keep in constant radio information with
external cadets for back up support. This approach worked because all of the cadets were
familiar with our location, they knew where to find external resources to aid with completion of
the task, and they were competent and committed to completing the task. As a leader I knew my
team would respond best to being given individual responsibilities in order to achieve the
greatest good. Throughout the twelve-hour mission, we had no causalities, disarmed and
captured terrorists, and ultimately protected the F.O.B. Given the outcome I knew I had chosen
the correct leadership style for this specific group of cadets and for this particular situation.
In summation, I met my chosen leadership style by delegating individual responsibilities
to each team member, facilitated subordinate confidence and motivation in reference to the task

NURS 250: Reflection Part A

when completed successfully, and was involved less in the planning or control of details but
instead monitored each members progression throughout the duration of the mission.
Application: Using the chosen theorys attributes as a framework, how do you plan to meet
the attributes of this chosen style as a nursing student in your pre-graduate clinical
experience?
As a continuation of the above passage, I have chosen the leadership style of Delegating.
As stated previously, this situational theory has the ability to be carried out is dependent on the
development level of the coworkers or subordinates involved as well as the confidence of the
leader in its subordinates to carry out the task effectively and efficiently (Northouse, 2013).
There would be numerous situations within my pre-graduate experience where I would delegate
to another team member, for example an occupational therapist, an unregulated care professional
(UCP), or another nurse. As a nursing student it is imperative to utilize effective communication
techniques when informing a member of the healthcare team what effective preventative
measures to utilized in order to encourage patient progression and development. A great example
of using this leadership style effectively is when instructing a UCP who has been taking care of
the client to the point of being competent with his or her care to implement an additional task to
optimize the clients quality of life. Once the UCP and I feel confident in their abilities to
perform the procedure the responsibility of the task to be completed is taken with the UCP once
they leave the hospital unit. Another instance where this style of leadership would be ideal is
when as a student I need assistance to help lighten the patient load on my shoulders. By
distributing the responsibility of patient well-being to another nurse (practical or registered),
followed by an evaluation of their work and monitoring of the patient, would demonstrate an
appropriate use of this leadership style.

NURS 250: Reflection Part A

The two key factors to keep in mind with this leadership style is that the individual or
group being given the task has the sound knowledge to implement or initiate the task being given
and that it is done correctly (Kelly & Crawford, 2013). Secondly, the individual or group
members must be familiar with the environment either the client in this case or the facility being
used to complete the task and achieve the ultimate goal of client well-being and safety (Kelly &
Crawford, 2013).

References
Bryman, A., Collinson, D., Grint, K., & Jackson, B. (2011). The SAGE Handbook of Leadership.
London, UK: SAGE Publications Ltd.

NURS 250: Reflection Part A

Kelly, P., & Crawford, H. (2013). Nursing Leadership and Management. (2nd ed). Toronto:
Nelson Education.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. (6th ed). London, UK: SAGE Publications
Ltd.
Pink, D. (2009). Drive. Toronto, ON: Penguin Books Ltd.