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Kristina Valenzuela

N362 - Professionalism in Nursing II


Leadership Discussion
Nurses assume various roles and responsibilities, and today's health care system is
now putting greater emphasis on the nurse's role as a leader and manager. Cherry and
Jacob (2014) describes the difference saying, "Leadership is the ability to guide or
influence others, whereas management is the coordination of resources to achieve
outcomes". I believe that learning to encompass both aspects will lead to the
accomplishment of the ultimate goal of quality, safe, patient-centered care.
A good leader is someone who provides guidance and direction by setting an
example. A good leader is also supportive of the personal development of the people they
work with. He/she is not only concerned about getting the job done, but they determine
each individual's strengths and weaknesses and help them to utilize their skills
accordingly in order to achieve a desired outcome. Lastly, as Toor and Ofori (2008)
states, "leaders inspire change". Instead of working within an established system, leaders
encourage creative freedom and inspire their fellow team members to think of new ways
of doing things. They are open to feedback and highly encourage communication among
each other.
A good follower is someone who is open-minded and motivated. He/she needs to
be open-minded because they will most likely be working among a group of people who
do not have the same ideas or opinions, and if they are not open to accepting different
views, they may encounter conflicts with each other. A good follower should also be
motivated in order to be a positive contributing member of the group.
After completing the Leadership Matrix Survey and Management Assessment, I
was categorized as being a "Team Leader" and "Shepherd". As a "team leader", I am

Kristina Valenzuela
N362 - Professionalism in Nursing II
strong in both tasks and people skills. I believe I do encompass the management skills of
planning and organizing to direct a team toward achieving a desired outcome. However,
instead of simply instructing them on what to do, I lead by example and work with them
to achieve the desired outcome. As a "shepherd", I prefer to guide my team rather than
directly control or order them to do something. I do prefer to avoid conflicts, try to
accommodate others as much as possible, and put in my fair share of work. I really am a
people person and find joy in watching others improve and succeed, so I do my best to
share what I know and help them work towards success as an individual and as a team. In
order to strengthen my leadership style, I will continue to be a team leader by taking
initiative if I notice someone needs a little direction, but prompting participation in
decision-making. I will continue to use my planning and organizing skills to keep a sense
of direction.
One leadership style I will focus on in the clinical setting is to be a maintenance
manager. I believe I am well organized and a good planner, both very important qualities
to have as an effective manager. What I would like to work on is being more efficient and
information-focused. It would be beneficial for me as a nurse to learn to be more efficient
because it will allow me to work smarter, not harder.

Kristina Valenzuela
N362 - Professionalism in Nursing II
References
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. (2014). Nursing Leadership and Management. In Contemporary
Nursing Issues, Trends and Management (6th ed., p. 288). St. Louis, Missouri:
Elsevier
Toor, S., & Ofori, G. (2008). Leadership versus Management: How They Are Different,
and Why. Leadership & Management In Engineering, 8(2), 61-71.
doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1532-6748(2008)8:2(61)
Zydziunaite, V., & Suominen, T. (2014). Leadership styles of nurse managers in ethical
dilemmas: Reasons and consequences. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal For The
Australian Nursing Profession, 48(2), 150-167. doi:10.5172/conu.2014.48.2.150

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