¶ … Team Leading -- Nursing For many professions, including the nursing field, bringing about structural change in an organization can cause stress and anxiety. But change doesn't have to create tension. And the available literature reveals that structural change can be smoothly, seamlessly accomplished when strong, competent nursing leadership is available to help make change a positive thing.

What steps should be taken in order to lead positive change?

A scholarly article in the Journal of Advanced Nursing points out steps that need to be taken to bring change to a healthcare environment. The authors explain that when change is on the agenda, nurse leaders face "…the challenge of having to navigate the difficult waters of uncertainty" as they push forward and advocate "for themselves, others, and their profession" (Salmela, et al., 2011, p. 424). The article includes research based on interviews with 17 nurse leaders in Finland; the results of those interviews are very interesting and can be helpful for other nurse leaders facing the daunting task of bringing change without stress and tension.

The findings from those interviews resulted in a model for leading change, and from that model three specific dimensions emerged. Those three are: a) leading relationships; b)...

This is not to say nurse leaders have all the answers, because they don't. As Salmela points out, leaders in the nursing field are role models and their leadership must positively impact a "caring culture"; and demonstrating the ethical behaviors that are imperative in a healthcare environment fall on the shoulders of those leaders. But, because they lead and expect others to follow, they themselves need "…guidance and knowledge of what is expected of them" as a structural change is underway (Salmela, 423). True nursing leadership boils down to what Salmela refers to as "direction"; that is, leaders must be able to "transform mental and physical resources into the fulfillment of goal" and that entails the creation of an environment where subordinates are "motivated" and indeed subordinates become part of the change process (424).
Salmela's conclusion in the article points out that nurse leaders play "different roles" during the process of structural change: beyond their normal responsibilities, leaders must direct, guide, motivate, support and communicate well with their subordinates vis-a-vis the value of change (431). While guiding subordinates through change, no matter how radical the structural change and no matter how difficult the challenges…