Nursing Leadership Styles Essay Example

health care” (Clegg, 2000, p. 1). My philosophy of nursing leadership is one that respects and values nurse’s experience and feels that nursing on a unit is a joint effort. A philosophy encourages and cultivates autonomy and individual advancement. “The democratic leader (www. changingminds. rg) acts to value inputs and commitment via participation, listening to both the bad and the good news. Leadership and management are alike and different in many ways. There are many different debated by scholars regarding the differences of leadership and management (Marquis & Huston, 2009). Part of the confusion stems from the word “leadership”. Marquis and Huston state that, “the word leadership was not known in the English language until the first half of the 19th century” (Marquis & Huston, 2009, p. 32). Theorists and leadership researchers disagree on what the word leadership is (Marquis & Huston, 2009).

Therefore, it is wise to state what roles are integral in leadership (Marquis & Huston, 2009). Marquis lists leadership roles as decision maker, communicator, evaluator, facilitator, risk taker, mentor, energizer, coach, counselor, teacher, critical thinker, buffer, advocate, visionary, forecaster, influencer, creative problem solver, change agent, diplomat and role model (Marquis & Huston, 2009). “Leaders are in the front, moving forward, taking risks, and challenging the status quo” (Marquis & Huston, 2009, p. 33).

According to Marquis & Huston (2009), the functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling” (GCU, 2009). Grand Canyons lecture notes go on to state that, “within each of these functions, decisions must be made to optimize the care provided while remaining fiscally responsible” (GCU, 2009). “Marquis presents the nursing management in 1925-1937 (Marquis & Huston, 2009). The management

process presented in Marquis & Huston, which is listed previously as the functions of management are one and the same.

Leadership and management skills are often integrated and nurses are encouraged to pursue and improve skills in both areas to function at their most productive capacity (Marquis & Huston, 2009). “In examining leadership and management, it becomes clear that these two concepts have a symbiotic or synergistic relationship” (Marquis & Huston, 2009, p. 45). As we progress in the new millennium, with rapid changes in health care, it is essential that we continue to develop and improve our nursing management and leadership roles to maintain healthy organizations (Marquis & Huston, 2009).

By using leadership and management skills to improve care, encourage, and motivate nurses towards a vision, we will improve overall standards in nursing care (Clegg, 2000). “Leadership requires the unraveling of bureaucracy in the creation of opportunities and achievement of objectives” (Clegg, 2000, p. 7). Clegg goes on to state, “Finally, effective leadership ensures the team is fit for and delivers its objectives – in this case, clinically effective, high quality patient care” Clegg, 2000, p. 7).

Leadership and management is all about providing the highest quality of patient care we can possibly give, while doing it in a fiscally conscious way. Resource Clegg, A. (2000, April 12). Leadership: improving the quality of patient care. Nursing Standard, 14(30). Retrieved from Ovid on November 12, 2009. Marquis, B. L. & Huston, C. J. (2009) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing (6th ed. ) Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Straker, D. (2006). Six emotional leadershipstyles. http://www. changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/styles/six_emotional_styles. (Accessed 12 November, 2009).