Motivations for Nursing Leadership

¶ … Paths to Nursing Leadership" by Bondas (2006). This qualitative study attempted to determine the motivations behind nurses entering nursing leadership programs and for seeking out jobs in management positions in healthcare. This study was also a component of a research program in nursing leadership as a whole and of evidence-based care. One of the fundamental pillars of the study as a whole has to do with the belief that nursing has not spent enough time or attention in the development of nursing leadership to benefit patient care. Bondas also asserts that there simply isn't enough research on the motives of nurses and their reasons for dedicating themselves to a career in nursing and to nursing leadership as a whole. Bondas does a sufficient job of setting a case for the fact that nursing leadership can make a consistent and positive impact on patient care. Bondas also aptly illuminates how most nurses already exhibit some form of leadership even naturally, without having received some sort of training. In this regard, Bondas makes a strong case for the fact that the bulk of nurses will need to receive some sort of training for nursing leadership, in order to better harness the innate skills that they offer patients.

The method that Bondas employed was largely fitting for the subject matter: "A strategic sample of 68 Finnish nurse leaders completed a semi-structured questionnaire. Analytic induction was applied in an attempt to generate a theory" (2006). Analytic induction was a wise choice in that it was able to provide structure and insight into the answers of these nurses. The questionnaire was open enough to allow the nurses to offer up and select answers that were more specific to their experiences. This allowed Bondas a higher level of comprehension about the unique thoughts and experiences of these nurses.

The literature review that Bondas offers is able to showcase how patients benefit from nurses who are more proactive and who offer more of the basic pillars of leadership. For instance, Bondas demonstrates how many nurses already demonstrate possessing strategic vision and strategic values, two very common pillars of leadership. This allowed them to streamline processes and to provide a more efficient level of care for patients. Bondas uses the literature review to demonstrate that much of the leadership practices that nurses typically engage in, revolve around making changes to current processes and by employing safeguards which are often pioneered by their own sense of innovation. These are the types of daring changes that real leadership is made out of. Finally, these nurses are able to demonstrate some of the more sensitive pillars of leadership which revolve around emotional intelligence. Bondas uses specific pieces of literature to make a case for the fact that most nurses have a higher level of emotional intelligence than people of other professions. In this manner, nurses are more likely to make people feel like valuable members of the team, and to provide supportive feedback to the ideas of other team members. These are qualities that so many nurses just organically develop over time. Providing nurses with specific leadership programs can assist in harnessing these qualities and making them stronger. Bondas also provides a clear picture of the need for understanding why nurses gravitate towards leadership programs and management jobs. Understanding this motivation will be able to shed light on other choices made in this field as a whole.

While Bondas did find that the theory of the paths to nursing leadership was in need of further research. This is such a common finding; it almost doesn't need to be stated. However, one of Bondas's more remarkable findings was that she discovered four distinct paths in accordance to the variations between the nurse leader's level of education, level of commitment and other situational factors: "They are called the Path of Ideals, the Path of Chance, the Career Path and the Temporary Path" (Bondas, 2006). These specific findings were so significant because they highlighted the factors which had a direct influence over the amount of dedication and leadership that nurses would innately show. This was able to offer a more cohesive explanation as to why nursing leadership comes more naturally to some and not others. This finding also helped to explain why some nurses gravitated towards management, while others did not.