To me, nursing leadership is based on personal qualities, and I think the qualities necessary for leadership vary upon the situation. For example, some nurses communicate well with administrative staff, such as managers and chief nursing officers. I believe nurses should be confident, clear communicators when speaking to administrative staff; however, not all nurses may be able to effectively complete this task. No one should ever be afraid to talk to their manger, but when a nursing unit needs to be heard to discuss a specific issue, one voice is effective. In some situations, a gentle presence is necessary. Perhaps a family is losing a loved one and needs support. It shows leadership when a nursing unit can think of the perfect nurse to perform that task. Nursing leadership is essential, and I believe it is a role all nurses take on at some point in their career. After watching the required material, my view on leadership stayed the same. Personally, I have seen leadership within my colleagues. On my nursing unit, we were experiencing issues with staffing. The nurses on the unit gathered to discuss this issue and unanimously chose one nurse to discuss the issue with our manager. She did not hesitate to accept the task. The issue has been addressed, and our unit has benefited greatly! I cannot think of a specific behavior that should have been modified to create a more effective leadership strategy; however, I believe nurses should be flexible and adapt to the changes that may be required of them. I found an article that states, “It’s been said that leaders are born. But these skills can also be learned” (Pullen, 2016, p. 26). I can identify with this quote, and it reflects my views on leadership.

Reference

Pullen, R. (2016). Leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, 14, 26-31. doi: 10.1097/01.NME.0000481442.05288.05