Nursing leadership is essential in healthcare because nurse leaders enhance patient care, cultivate a positive work culture, and improve patient outcomes. Any nurse can act as a leader, but some specific leadership roles in nursing include charge nurse, nurse manager, and chief nursing officer.
When a patient’s health status suddenly deteriorates, nurse leaders are responsible for coordinating an appropriate response rapidly. When a patient is prescribed a medication that can cause an adverse interaction, a nurse leader must voice concerns to the physician and advocate for the patient. When a new, inexperienced nurse joins the unit, the nurse leader provides mentorship and guidance.
Although leadership roles in nursing may look different from one unit and leader to the next, nursing leadership is vital across all operations of the nursing environment.
If you aspire to become a nurse leader, you can build a solid academic foundation at Concordia University Texas. The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) track at Concordia Texas welcomes students of all backgrounds because embracing and serving our neighbors is a key characteristic of future leaders.
Our nursing graduates go on to become courageous leaders who apply critical thinking and empathy to their practice in equal measure.
As you consider your future as a potential nurse leader, consider why leadership in nursing matters and how different leadership styles in nursing have differing results.
What is nursing school like? Explore how the ABSN track works and decide if it could be right for you.
What Is Leadership in Nursing?
In the nursing field, leaders are experienced professionals who motivate others to achieve their full potential. They provide guidance and mentorship to other nurses, with the goal of not only encouraging professional development but also meeting organizational goals pertaining to quality of care, patient safety, and patient outcomes.
Nurse leaders set an example by adhering to strict ethical standards and by serving as advocates for patients and staff.
Why Nursing Leadership Matters in Modern Healthcare
The modern healthcare landscape is constantly changing, and nursing leadership is essential for helping nursing teams navigate these changes. Nurse leaders can help their team members adapt to new technologies and learn to incorporate emerging nursing research into their practice.
Ultimately, strong and empathetic nurse leaders are essential for:
- Enhancing patient safety
- Establishing a positive and supportive work culture
- Increasing staff satisfaction
- Influencing the quality of care
- Improving patient outcomes
Types of Leadership in Nursing
It’s important to note that any experienced registered nurse (RN) has the potential to serve as a leader in the workplace, regardless of their job title. Some ways that an RN could act as a leader include advocating for their patients, encouraging others to work toward quality improvements, and mediating conflict resolution in the workplace.
If, after functioning as a nurse leader, you decide that you’d like to pursue a designated leadership role, there are plenty of choices available to you. Some examples of leadership roles in the nursing field include:
- Nursing coordinator: A nurse care coordinator creates patient care plans and serves as a liaison between the patient and the rest of the care team.
- Charge nurse: A charge nurse works as a staff nurse while also managing a shift of staff nurses. They handle managerial and administrative tasks in addition to their patient care responsibilities.
- Nursing shift supervisor: A nurse supervisor is similar to a charge nurse, but while a charge nurse manages one shift, a supervisor manages one or more units. They generally have hiring and firing authority and will oversee the scheduling and budgeting.
- Nurse manager: Nurse managers manage a particular unit or department. While they could provide patient care, they usually handle administrative work instead. They attend meetings, create budgets, mentor new staff, and develop and enforce policies.
- Chief nursing officer (CNO): This C-suite position is the top level of nurse administration. The CNO is responsible for directing nursing operations at the highest level, such as by developing organizational goals, implementing policies, and allocating resources.
Collaboration, communication, and advocacy skills are crucial for every nurse leader.
Nursing Leadership Styles: Understanding Different Approaches
Any nurse could potentially step into a leadership role. Understanding the common leadership styles in nursing can help with developing leadership ability.
Servant Leadership
Nurses who are servant leaders focus on meeting the needs of their team members. For example, a nurse servant leader would prioritize figuring out what their team needs to meet their goals and connecting the team to those resources.
This could involve connecting the team to professional development resources or advocating for needed equipment on the floor. Nurse servant leaders also seek to empower patients by helping them reach their health goals.
Advocacy in nursing is one of an RN’s most important roles.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic nurse leaders facilitate group decision-making by soliciting input from all team members to make a decision. Teamwork and collaboration are prioritized in a democratic nursing unit, and this can significantly benefit the workplace culture.
This nursing leadership style also tends to emphasize quality improvement, which can support organizational goals.
Transformational Leadership
The transformational nurse leader inspires and motivates others to work toward shared organizational goals. For example, a nursing team might focus on enhancing patient outcomes by strengthening their patient safety procedures or improving communication during patient handoffs.
Transformational nurse leaders tend to motivate their team members to exceed performance expectations, embrace innovation, and work toward personal and professional growth.
Situational Leadership
The situational nurse leader analyzes each situation before deciding which leadership style to use. This highly adaptable approach allows these leaders to work well with people of all personalities, as different people may respond in various ways to different leadership styles.
How to Develop Leadership Skills as a Nurse
One of the most important assets a nurse leader can have is clinical experience. This allows you to develop better critical thinking, decision-making, and advocacy skills, which will help you become a nurse leader.
While you’re gaining clinical experience, take some time to focus on professional development as well. Obtain professional certifications, complete more continuing education credits than are required, and stay on top of the latest nursing research. You might also consider exploring mentorship opportunities, and you could join nursing organizations to expand your professional network.
In Concordia Texas’s ABSN track, students complete hundreds of hours in clinical rotations, working in various nursing specialties at top healthcare facilities in the Dallas or Austin area. You will have the chance to work alongside and learn from exceptional healthcare professionals and experience nursing leadership firsthand.
As an ABSN track student, you will develop the leadership skills needed for your career through experiential learning. In addition to clinical rotations, you will participate in nursing simulation labs, where you must work as a team with other nursing students to treat high-tech manikins that can simulate a wide variety of reactions and conditions.
These curriculum components are opportunities to develop and experience a variety of leadership styles, allowing you to start honing these skills early.
Explore the importance and benefits of cultural competence in nursing.
Advancing Your Career Through Leadership in Nursing
If you aspire to push your career forward by pursuing leadership roles in nursing, there are a number of steps you can take. Consider the following steps that can facilitate career advancement:
- Earn professional certifications in your specialty area after gaining clinical experience.
- Obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
- Volunteer to serve as a mentor to new nurses.
- Consider earning board certification to become an advanced practice registered nurse.
- Begin acting as a nurse leader in your current role while looking for job opportunities in management.
Is Becoming a Nurse Leader in Your Future?
If you aim to become a nurse leader, explore the possibilities at Concordia University Texas. Our curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, cultural competence, and professional ethics to prepare future healthcare leaders.
If you meet the eligibility requirements for our ABSN track, you could graduate with a nursing degree in as few as 16 months and be prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN examination. With ABSN track learning sites in Austin and Dallas and three start dates per year, our nursing track is a flexible way to launch your new career.
Contact an admissions counselor today to get started.