Essential Tips for Developing Nursing Leadership

Essential Tips for Developing Nursing Leadership

After completing their education and starting work, new nurses often encounter situations that require leadership skills. At some point in their practice, nurses might need to take on formal leadership roles, like lead or charge nurses. Learning leadership and management is important, as it’s a skill that can be taught and needs to be learned. Professional organizations acknowledge this as crucial knowledge. Therefore, all nurses should have a strong foundation in leadership and nursing care management to handle challenging situations that can arise. Whether dealing with staff conflicts, limited resources, miscommunication, or other system issues, here are some helpful suggestions to help students prepare for leadership and management roles:

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1. Separate Leadership and Management Skills

Understand that leadership and management are distinct skills that can and should be taught and learned. While clinical skills are important, developing leadership and management skills is equally essential. These skills are necessary for nurses to navigate the complex and rapidly changing healthcare environment, like during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Key Skills for Leadership

Graduate and undergraduate students need to focus on communication, relationship management, effective leadership, understanding systems and the environment, grasping business aspects, and upholding nursing professionalism. These are the five core competencies outlined by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL/AONE).

3. Core Principles for the Classroom

Although various leadership and management theories exist, core principles remain applicable across disciplines. Many theories come from other fields like business management but can be adapted to nursing. Nurses should view their profession as a service industry, and workplaces should acknowledge their need for control over the work process and environment.

4. Adapting to Changes in Nursing Education

In the 7th Edition of “Leadership and Nursing Care Management,” examples show how leadership concepts challenge critical thinking and clinical judgment. The book aligns with the Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) initiative, shifting focus from clinical scenarios to leadership and management situations. This highlights that nurses have a dual role: caregivers and care coordinators. Both aspects must be taught for effective practice.

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5. Aligning with Educational Frameworks

The book also aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) 2021 Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education framework. This framework emphasizes systems-based practice and nurse care coordination. The text addresses various domains within this framework, ensuring nurses are prepared for the modern healthcare landscape.