Running head: NURSING LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 1

Nursing Leadership Philosophy

Sherrill Butler-Williamson

Delaware Technical Community College

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In the past, nurses were managed poorly (Doody & Doody, 2012). Long gone are the

days where organizations are led by dictatorship. Most organization are turning to a leadership

style that is diverse enough to handle the consistent changes of today’s society (Doody & Doody,

2012). That is Transformational Leadership.

Transformational Leadership Theory is classified as the most effective leadership style

for today’s complex healthcare systems and organizations (Finkleman, 2016). A transformational

leader has the ability to incorporate these four components, idealized influence, inspirationally

motivate, intellectually stimulate, and individualized consideration of others (Deschamps,

Rinfret, Lagace, & Prive, 2016).

Doody & Doody (2012) define idealized influence as having the ability to build

confidence, trust, admiration and respect while allowing staff to help develop and create the

vison and the purpose of each task and assignment. This type of influence exists when nurse

leaders display themselves as role models. The nurse’s role in idealized influence is to be

flexible, embrace change, display self-confidence, but also be self-aware, and have commitment

to the vision. I believe that as a leader I must replicate the type of behaviors and actions that I

want emulated by my peer and subordinates. I will respect and learn from the leaders that display

the attributes of a transformative leader.

(Mennella & Balderrama, 2017) defines inspirational motivation as nurse leaders having

the ability to facilitate organizational spirit and teamwork by displaying a cheerleader’s attitude.

They also motivate by displaying positivity. They also communicate effectively and clear. The

nurse’s role as an inspirational motivator is to be enthusiastic about change and challenges, as

well as to be a cheerleader for patients and the organization by creating a trusting environment
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within the workplace. I believe that trust is one of the most important attribute that I must have to

build respect among my peers and the patients that depend on my leadership abilities. This is one

of the most important roles as a bedside nurse. I will acquire trust by listening and not judging

my peers or my patients.

Individualized consideration occurs when management encourages individuals to reach

new levels of achievement and success (Doody & Doody, 2012). This method actively reminds

nurses that they are in a supportive environment. It also pushes them to continue to learn and

grow as healthcare professionals. (Doody & Doody, 2012). I believe that every team member is

important and have an essential role in the care of patients. As a leader I will continue to

encourage my peers to participate in decision making and help them see the greatness that they

have within.

According to research, intellectual stimulation “encourages staff innovation, challenging

the beliefs of staff, the leader and service.” (Doody & Doody, 2012). Leaders that embrace this

style encourage their team to brainstorm, problem-solve, and utilize the evidence-based methods

in efforts of being transformative. I believe in “thinking out of the box” to gain the greatest

outcomes possible (Doody & Doody, 2012). As a nurse leader, I will encourage staff and my

peers to use all of their resources to reach their desired outcomes by researching, evaluating, and

teamwork.

Transformative leaders actively work to provide the best level of care to their patients. In

doing so, it is necessary that nurses also take into account the duty of being a patient advocate.

While being a patient advocate, it is important to effectively understand the needs of your

patient. However, it can be difficult to truly understand one’s needs if there is no relationship or

lack of communication. I believe in advocating for my patients and my peers. I will create ting
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honest relationships and use effective communication so that I can become a prepared patient

advocate.

In addition to advocacy, efficient bedside nursing is important because bedside nursing is

a significant part of a patient's hospitalization. Throughout one’s period of care, it is imperative

that they are surrounded by healthcare staff that make their stay comforting. “When professionals

work together contributing their skills and expertise, a high quality of care can be obtained.

Patient will benefit from transformational leader because they will be cared for a non-prejudicial

manner by a team which is inspired, empowered, motivated and which possesses enhanced

communication skills” (Welford, 2002). In this, patients can expect their voices to be heard

through advocating and consistent communication.

Transformative leadership is a theory that can be used amongst healthcare administration,

not solely amongst registered nurses. “Direct nurse managers can empower staff by holding team

meetings regularly, where nurses of all levels have the opportunity to voice their opinions and

collectively create goals and strategies to deliver client care with greater effectiveness that is

aligned with the organization’s vision and mission” (Doody & Doody, 2012) Often times, higher

levels of management are stereotyped with possessing a nonchalant or out of touch nature. By

applying this theory, that judgement can be replaced with assurance. Through transformative

leadership, teams as a whole can benefit. As a charge nurse I will continue to collaborate during

report to make sure that all staff members have the opportunity to be creative and also feel

valued as a team member.

Within transformative leadership, structure is very important as it significantly affects

functionality and efficiency. There are many different components that feed into the structures

and processes of transformative leadership. Greater outcomes are a result of using these
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processes. Managing time and information are useful as it helps make communication between

healthcare professionals efficient (Contino, 2004). By drawing up strategy for effective

decision-making and creating relationships with strategic patterns, nurses can work as a team and

assist one another as far as patient plans (Contino, 2004).

My Nursing Leadership Philosophy is I believe in displaying the characteristics that I

would like other to possess. I believe in being honest. I believe in effective communication. I

believe in encouraging and inspiring others to become all that they desire. I believe that every

team member has a voice. I believe in collaboration. I believe in helping others to reach their

fullest potential and I believe in following a mission with a vision. Most of all I believe in

transformative leadership.

As I aspire to become a transformational leader, I hope to create a healthy relationship

with all patients. This is important as it allows the patient to become comfortable with their

caregiver. In turn, it allows me to better understand the needs of my patients, so that they can

properly advocate on their behalf. As a future nurse practitioner, I aim to be a continuous learner,

encourage others, as well as facilitate and inspire growth in others. I look to utilize

transformative leadership to enhance my level of care as a nurse and as a co-worker. I look

forward to promoting teamwork amongst staff and pushing people to meet their potential.

Ultimately, I plan to utilize the theory of transformational leadership to provide the best level of

care, as well as foster a functional and effective work relationship with my co-workers.
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References

Contino, D. S. (2004). Leadership competencies: knowledge, skills, and aptitudes nurses need to

lead organizations effectively. Critical Care Nurse, 24(3), 52-64.

Deschamps, C., Rinfret, N., Lagacé, M. C., & Privé, C. (2016). Transformational leadership and

change: How leaders influence their followers’ motivation through organizational

justice. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(3), 194-213.

Doody, O., & Doody, C. M. (2012). Transformational leadership in nursing practice. British

Journal of Nursing, 21(20), 1212-1218.

Finkleman, A., (2016). Leadership and Management for Nurses Core Competencies for Quality

Care. (3rd ed.). Pearson

Mennella, H. & Balderama, D. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing. Cinahl

Information Systems.

Mäntynen, R., Vehviläinen-Julkunen, K., Partanen, P., Turunen, H., Miettinen, M., & Kvist, T.

(2014). Changes in transformational leadership and empirical quality outcomes in a

finnish hospital over a two-year period: a longitudinal study. Nursing research and

practice, 2014.

Welford, C. (2002). Matching theory to practice. Nursing Management, 9(4), 7-11.