Nursing units rely on competent, ethical nursing leadership to guide the department, mentor fellow nurses, and set standards of healthcare excellence. With capable nurses leading and inspiring their fellow clinicians, healthcare systems can provide better patient care, improve patient outcomes, and nurture a positive, supportive work culture.

At Averett University, we strive to graduate highly competent nurse candidates who will go on to become leaders in their specialty areas. With our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, it’s possible to graduate with a nursing degree in as few as 16 months. This means you can get to work sooner, gain clinical experience, and work toward becoming a nurse leader.

As you consider your future in nurse leadership, keep in mind the essential qualities of nurse leaders, the role they play, and the types of leadership styles they may use.

What Is Nursing Leadership?

Every experienced nurse has the potential to serve as a leader in the workplace. Although some job titles confer a leadership role, such as charge nurse or nurse manager, clinical practitioners without an advanced job title can also serve as leaders by the example they set.

In nursing leadership and management, professionals inspire others to work toward high ethical standards and motivate them to deliver healthcare excellence. Nurse leaders must also keep in mind the bigger picture, motivating fellow nurses to work toward organizational goals and prioritize professional development.

Essential Leadership Qualities in Nursing

There are a number of qualities and characteristics that are essential for nurse leaders. These are soft skills that are transferable to all types of workplaces, which means they are just as helpful in an ER department as they are in a cancer treatment center or community health center.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are among the top leadership qualities in nursing. Every nurse must communicate effectively and appropriately with a variety of people, including fellow nurses, other healthcare providers, patients, and family caregivers. Communication skills are particularly important for a nurse leader.

Patients and nurses alike look to nurse leaders to provide education in ways that each audience can easily understand. Nurse leaders also need to set an example for proper patient handoffs, documentation, and care plan development. They must also work to resolve interpersonal conflict. Communication is essential for all of these tasks.

Critical Thinking and Analytical Reasoning

Another way nurse leaders can set a good example for their fellow clinicians is by demonstrating excellent critical thinking and analytical reasoning. These skills are essential for making objective observations about a situation, identifying likely causes, and developing logical solutions. Data analysis, problem-solving, and evidence-based decision-making are all hallmark strengths of a nurse leader.

Adaptability and Resilience

No two shifts are alike in a healthcare environment. Nurse leaders must be adaptable, as it’s often necessary to quickly reevaluate priorities in the face of new information and changing situations. Nurse leaders must be flexible regarding issues such as staffing availability, new patient admissions, and changes in patient health status.

Resilience is also among the top leadership qualities in nursing, as nurse leaders are expected to deal with various challenges daily. Resilience allows clinicians to navigate challenges effectively and recover quickly from stressful situations.

Empathy and Compassion

Every type of leader can benefit from empathy and compassion, and nurse leaders are no exception. Nursing leadership is expected to demonstrate empathy and compassion for patients and fellow staff members. These qualities empower nurse leaders to develop a deeper understanding of the problems others may be experiencing, validate their concerns, and offer support.

Commitment to Professional Ethics

Those in nursing leadership positions need to have a deep understanding of professional ethics in nursing and be committed to adhering to ethical standards without exception. An unwavering dedication to ethical practice serves as a foundation for nursing advocacy.

Leadership Styles in Nursing: Which One Fits You?

There are many different leadership styles. None of them is necessarily the “right” one for nurse leaders to use. Rather, it’s best to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses, the needs of your nursing unit, and your objectives as a leader to determine which of the following common leadership styles in nursing would be most effective.

Transformational

Nurses who excel at mentorship often gravitate toward the transformational style of leadership. This leadership style emphasizes inspiring nurses to work toward a shared vision and organizational goals by focusing on developing their own strengths and skills.

Transformational leaders tend to be open-minded communicators and active listeners. They prioritize empathy and support their fellow nurses while encouraging innovation and growth.

Democratic

Democratic nursing leadership is characterized by teamwork and collaboration. It encourages group decision-making by soliciting input from various team members. Democratic leaders tend to be inclusive, flexible, and skilled in making quality improvements.

While the democratic leadership style works well for many different types of nursing units, it does not lend itself to quick or independent decision-making. Because of this, it might not be the best option for nursing specialties in which decisions must be made rapidly, such as trauma care.

Servant

Servant leaders understand that the true purpose of leadership isn’t to be in charge of other people but rather to serve them. Nurses who are servant leaders tend to focus on empowering their fellow nurses by helping them work toward professional development goals. They also support the needs of their patients and partner with them to help them meet health goals.

Situational

Not every leadership style is best suited to every nursing environment or employee. The situational leadership style is the most adaptable. Situational nurse leaders adapt their leadership style to meet the needs of the situation, patient, or clinician.

Rather than using a single, fixed leadership style, situational leaders are fluid. They sometimes act as democratic leaders and sometimes embrace the transformational style, and so on.

Developing Leadership Qualities as a Nurse

Nurse leaders are clinicians with experience, which means that you can begin working toward a leadership position right from the start of your nursing career. Initially, focus on refining your nursing skills and deepening your nursing knowledge. Consider looking for a nurse mentor who can provide guidance to help you improve your weaker areas.

Other steps you can take to work toward nursing leadership include:

• Always practice in strict adherence to professional ethics.
• Build your professional network and collaborate with others.
• Earn professional certifications relevant to your specialty.
• Join professional organizations for nurses.
• Practice your critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills.
• Stay on top of nursing research in your specialty area.
• Take advantage of every opportunity for professional development.

Prepare to Become a Nurse Leader at Averett

At Averett, you can prepare to become an effective and ethical nurse leader, no matter which nursing specialty you choose or the environment you work in. Averett emphasizes the role of nurses as catalysts for positive change, instilling core values like integrity, innovation, and diversity along with nursing skills.

If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits, you may be eligible to apply to our ABSN program. Earn your BSN degree in as few as 16 months and pursue your ideal role in the nursing field. Contact an admissions advisor today to get started.