Nursing and Leadership Theory

The four categories derived from the questionnaire are: Shared decision-making, Leadership and Safety, Well-being, and Professional development. The selected administration theories are: Innovation leadership, Transformational leadership, and Strategic leadership.
The first category is Shared decision-making and goes well with strategic leadership. One of the questions that fit well into this category from the self-assessment is: “2. Are staff nurses involved in decision-making and all phases of projects that affect nursing, including quality processes?”. People within an organization must all take an active role regarding the decision-making process. This especially rings true for complex decisions. Strategic leadership is an administration theory that suggests the ability for everyone to work together to initiate change. “a person’s ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility, think strategically, and work with others to initiate changes that will create a viable future for the organization” (Wang, 2018, p. 29). When looking at the theory, there is a focus placed on adaptability and learning and the notion that collaboration could potentially lead to improved outcomes and meeting objectives.
The other question that pertains to this category is: “1. Are all members of the nursing staff actively engaged in and aware of the Pathway to Excellence application?”. Communication is such an important aspect to Strategic leadership. Regarding nursing administration, people need to be educated and instructed on what must be done for the organization to succeed. Without this vital information, it can prove deleterious to execute changes meant to aid the organization due to lack of clarification and communication on the part of organization leaders to other members.
This lends to the professional opinion that allowing people to collaborate and communicate promotes a positive work environment. People feel the need to be heard. Such a theory allows for shared decision-making. Thusly, providing a means of granting importance and connection to each member of the organization.
The second category is Leadership and Safety. The administration theory that could be associated with this category is again, strategic leadership. There is a certain level of expectation when implementing this theory. One of which is safety. If one applies Strategic leadership within the context of nurse administration, one of the key measures of effectiveness and efficiency is patient safety and employee safety. It is imperative that members of the organization be educated and properly trained on the potential hazards within the work environment. That means providing excellent and strong leadership and promoting a culture of safety.
Safety is one of the reasons why people accept leaders. In schools for example, leaders are looked to, to provide order and thus safety. “If campus relationships turn hostile or adversarial, the political, and/or the administrative frames of leadership often become dominant because they offer the safety net of authority” (Morrill, 2010, p. 262). Some questions related to this category from the self-assessment that also relate to safety are: “4. Is there a policy indicating that overtime is not mandatory for nursing staff, except in the event of a disaster”, “7. Are protective security measures in place for patients and staff?” and “8. Are prevention measures in place to decrease injury illness, and accidents?”.
Nursing administrators must take leadership and safety into consideration when devising strategies for implementation to achieve organization objectives. Without consideration for safety and demonstration of effective leadership, it can be easy for a work environment to devolve and for members of the organization to underperform. There is a certain level of cohesive interplay that requires the emphasis on safety and effective leadership.
The third category is Well-being and this category may correspond with innovation leadership. Innovative leadership represents an approach and philosophy that combines various leadership styles influencing members of an organization to produce creative products, services, and ideas. The innovation leader is someone that emphasizes learning, communication and approaches that are aimed at the whole picture (Amanchukwu, Stanley, & Ololube, 2015). Such a leader pairs well with the category of well-being. It is important to promote a sense of well-being as a nurse administrator. Patients as well as employees can benefit from the idea that focusing on one’s health and the health of others can bring positive outcomes.
Some questions that may be placed in this category are as follows: “10. Are there systems in place ensuring that nurses can report, without negative consequences, any concerns…” and “13. Does the organization monitor patient care and professional practice concerns for trends?”. The well-being of patients for example, rely on the ability of nurses to assess and report any potential problems. Patients as well reserve the right to address concerns that arise. Providing an avenue for members of the organization and patients to report any issues is a great step towards the path of well-being.
Relating this to a positive work environment, well-being encompasses mental, emotional and physical health. If people cannot express their concerns and cannot address problems they experience in their work environment, it can produce negative outcomes. Innovative leadership like providing a system for patients and staff to report issues, allows for people to communicate their issues and leaves a platform for people to resolve them.
The fourth category is Professional development, and this can be tied to Transformational leadership. Transformational leadership and professional development are interrelated because of the element of intrinsic motivation. “…its emphasis on intrinsic motivation and follower development, which fits the needs of today’s work groups, who want to be inspired and empowered to succeed in times of uncertainty” (Northouse, 2012, p. 9). As the name suggests, a transformational leader promotes a process that transforms and changes people. Such a leadership style concerns emotion, standards, long-term objectives, and ethics. Transformational leaders aim to evaluate the motivations of their followers as well as attempt to satisfy their needs by treating them as complete human beings (Northouse, 2012). This goes so well with professional development.
Those aiming to improve themselves needs leaders that can provide them with tools for this purpose. An example of this is paid training and promotion. Additional skills and responsibilities can give the member of the organization looking to improve, a chance and means for development. Some questions pertaining to this category are: “18. Does the CNO have a bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing?” and “23. Does the direct care nurse have input into the selection of educational offerings provided?”. By having a chance and a choice for professional development, this can lend to a positive work environment. People often want a chance to earn more and learn more, promoting a sense of loyalty towards the organization if they are afforded such opportunities.
Professional Opinion
The Pathway to Excellence® Organizational Self-Assessment to nursing is a great tool to have when examining the various categories part of nursing administration. Something that can be used in various organizations, the self-assessment tools allows for introspective examination of the kind of position someone has within the organization and what that organization may have to offer. This leads to a more satisfied and educated understanding of one’s own objectives and the objectives of the organization and if they match or not. Without this tool, it may be difficult to determine what may be lacking and what needs to be evaluated.
References
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. S., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. Management, 5(1), 6-14.
Morrill, R. L. (2010). Strategic leadership: Integrating strategy and leadership in colleges and universities. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Northouse, P. G. (2012). Leadership: Theory and practice. SAGE.
Wang, V. C. (2018). Strategic leadership. Charlotte, NC: IAP, Information Age Publishing, Inc.