Evaluation of Leadership Qualities that Deliver Excellence in a Nursing Setting
Leadership is a crucial skill for nurses, especially in the current health care environment where they face complex and dynamic challenges. Effective leadership can improve patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, organizational performance, and professional development. However, not all nurses possess the same leadership qualities or styles. This blog post will explore some of the key characteristics of successful nurse leaders and how they can foster a culture of excellence in their settings.
One of the most important leadership qualities for nurses is emotional intelligence (EI). EI refers to the ability to perceive, understand, and manage one’s own and others’ emotions. According to a study by Codier et al. (2014), EI is positively associated with nurse performance, job satisfaction, and retention. EI can help nurse leaders to communicate effectively, build trust and rapport, resolve conflicts, motivate and inspire others, and cope with stress and change. EI can also enhance the quality of care by enabling nurse leaders to empathize with patients and families, anticipate their needs, and provide compassionate and culturally sensitive care.
Another essential leadership quality for nurses is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is a style that focuses on inspiring and empowering followers to achieve a shared vision and goals. According to a meta-analysis by Wang et al. (2017), transformational leadership has positive effects on nurse outcomes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work engagement, and patient safety. Transformational leadership can also foster a culture of excellence by promoting innovation, collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement. Transformational leaders can achieve this by articulating a clear and compelling vision, providing individualized support and feedback, stimulating intellectual challenge and creativity, and modeling ethical and exemplary behavior.
A third key leadership quality for nurses is resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity and change. Resilience is especially important for nurse leaders who face high levels of stress, uncertainty, and complexity in their roles. According to a study by Cope et al. (2016), resilience is positively related to nurse well-being, job satisfaction, and retention. Resilience can also contribute to excellence in nursing by enhancing the quality of care, patient satisfaction, and organizational performance. Resilience can be developed by nurse leaders through various strategies such as self-care, mindfulness, optimism, social support, mentoring, and lifelong learning.
In conclusion, leadership is a vital skill for nurses that can influence their personal and professional outcomes as well as the quality of care they provide. Some of the key leadership qualities that can deliver excellence in a nursing setting are emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, and resilience. Nurse leaders who possess these qualities can create positive work environments that foster high standards of practice, innovation, collaboration, and learning.
Works Cited
Codier E., et al. “The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Nursing: An Overview.” Advances in Nursing Science 37.1 (2014): 70-83.
Cope V., et al. “Resilience in the Face of Challenge: A Positive Outlook for Nursing Leadership.” Journal of Nursing Management 24.8 (2016): 1011-1012.
Wang G., et al. “The Effects of Transformational Leadership on Employee Performance: A Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology 8 (2017): 2164.
