The Journey of A Nurse Leader

• A nurse leader is a complex dynamic of managing clinical practices, staff, while also being used as a resource in patient care.
• The journey of a nurse leader is a dynamic process as one has to test different leadership styles in different situations. 
• An effective nurse leader has the potential to increase employee satisfaction, change the culture in the workplace, and ultimately increase the quality of patient care. 

As a nurse leader, one is faced with many difficult and often cumbersome situations within an organization that must be dealt with no matter how complex or simple they may seem.  

 Becoming a nurse leader often involves a transformational process that requires various stages of reflection until the final stages of the journey are reached.  How one handles the differences in each stage of this journey proves how effective a nurse leader can be when faced with challenges.   

Transformational Stages of  a Nurse Leader

Leadership involves discipline and the act of guiding, directing, motivating, and inspiring a group or organization towards achieving common goals.   

Leading requires commitment, dedication, and also requires creativity and demands the wise use of power.  The following are three stages that are imperative when navigating to become a nurse leader.   

Unlearning, Letting Go, Reacting

 These areas have more personal meaning to nurses.  Many times these stages can be some of the most difficult ones because how many times do nurses want to do things the way they have been taught or think is right?   

Trying to unlearn processes, ideas, or thoughts can be very difficult and can seem almost impossible at times, but once nurses attempt the process, the idea of letting go and reacting appropriately becomes much easier.   

This can be a challenge because once a new task is learned, nurses sometimes feel it needs to stay a certain way.   Many nurses love routine and specific ways of doing things. Learning a new way can be challenging.   Dealing with change and new ways of thinking are not always comfortable and easy, but they do assist with becoming an effective nurse leader.  

Naming, Learning, and Applying New Skills

In order to visibly notice effective changes as a nurse leader, all three of these areas are important to implement.   

If an organization cannot identify areas of improvement, the leader is never going to recognize the problems that need to be addressed.  Once the agenda of items needing improvement has been identified, the leader can start working with the staff as a team to learn solutions and put these into action.   

Listening actively to the concerns that have been voiced and promptly addressing the concerns with the nurse leader is imperative in order to establish ways to resolve an issue or deal with a new problem.  Problems need to be triaged and solved as soon as possible before they develop into greater problems (Porter-O’Grady and Malloch, 2018).  Otherwise, if they are not handled in a timely manner, staff may start to question the purpose of reporting problems if they are not going to be addressed.

Reinforcing, Evaluating, Teach, and Extinguishing the Old

This stage seems to be the most difficult one of all three stages.  It is difficult anytime a leader or organization enforces a new policy, new procedure, or a new guideline because typically there is going to be some resistance from current employees. 

Change can be wonderful, but it is hard and certainly is an adjustment for the majority of the staff; however, without change, there would be little, if any, progression.  

 Evaluating one’s behavior and teaching the new seem to co-exist. Once the negative or old behaviors are recognized, they can be turned into new avenues for growth and development for both the individuals and the organization.  Once an organization rids these pre-existing processes, behaviors, and thoughts, the old becomes extinguished which allows the “new” to become a part of the thought process. 

A valuable statement was noted when focusing on these areas and should be recognized – “people need to see leaders dealing with change so that they can have someone rather than something to identify with.  They look to leaders to humanize the experience by growing and adapting themselves.  By seeing others who are successfully adjusting to change, they become more comfortable carrying out their own personal journey of transformation” (Porter-O’Grady and Malloch, 2018, p. 504). 

This statement holds much truth because if the staff visualize change in their leaders, they are more apt to have a stronger desire and willingness to change as well.  

Characteristics of a Nurse Leader

In order for nurse leaders to be effective, there are several characteristics that define what a leader should possess and how these characteristics help to define new leaders: 

• Emotional intelligence 
• Integrity 
• Critical thinking 
• Effective communication skills 
• Dedication to perseverance and excellence 
• Respect 
• Sense of professionalism 
• Understanding patient-nurse dynamics 
• Mentorship 

Utilizing these characteristics assists the nurse leaders to be effective as they oversee and manage staff in various facilities or environments.  If a nurse leader does not possess these, it is difficult to lead effectively since the fundamental skills are not in place. 

Results of an Effective Nurse Leader

Leaders can hinder or enhance an organization with the skills they possess and the implementation of those skills.  Stong leaders provide a sense of vision, mentorship, purpose, and inspiration among those they lead.   

The results of a good leader can result in employee retention, long-term success, and high morale. 

The misconception that leaders must be authoritative, aggressive, and hard core is not true. Often times, leaders with these characterisitics do not lead as effectively and the organization ultimately ends up suffering.   

All of the stages discussed are crucial in the transformation of becoming a nurse leader. 

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