Although there are many leadership styles in nursing, I feel that nursing leaders on my floor

relate best to the interactional leadership theory as “no single leadership strategy is effective in

every situation” (Marquis & Huston, 2017). Our leaders on the floor must adapt to the situations

that arise and change based off of the unit’s needs at the present time. The leaders can go from a

hands-on approach during a code situation or more of a laissez-faire approach when you are

tasked with something that you need to learn or experience on your own. The increase or lack of

control a leader has should not reflect negatively of them, taking into account that we as nurses

have different skill sets and experiences.

Now that I have been a nurse for almost a year, I am able to show leadership as nurses who are

on orientation or are just coming off orientation by showing them how to do cap changes or

helping them with lab draws. Sometimes, it isn’t what we help them with physically, but helping

them talk through their current situation or offer ideas that can help them critically think. The

"nurses eat their young" attitude does not apply at my job which I am grateful for. This allows

nurses to ask for help and keep our patients safe. It also allows nurses to benefit from one

another as we all do not possess the same skill sets or are weaker in some areas. My floor, much

like other hospitals, has nursing preceptors. These are nurses that you follow during your

orientation period whom guide you in becoming acclimated to the floor and use their knowledge

and experiences to help mold your own style of nursing. These preceptors do not receive extra

pay to teach new nurses. They choose to be preceptors as selfless leaders in order to “improve

teaching skills, influence change in the practice setting, and to contribute to the profession”

(“Leadership Preceptors”, 2019). I am a personal testament as to how hardworking preceptors

will influence and mold you as a “baby nurse”. I still go to my “work mothers” for advice,
second opinions, and clinical judgement. They have inspired me to also take on the role as a

nursing preceptor in the next few months so that I can share my knowledge as well as increase

my leadership skills to become a better nurse, creating better nurses. The nurses on my floor

embody the statement: “nurses must also be equipped with the communication, conflict

resolution, and negotiating skills necessary to succeed in leadership and partnership roles.

(Marquis & Huston, 2017) We as nurses cannot function properly without the help of our

coworkers and clinical team members. I am privileged enough to work with amazing nurses. We

utilize one another and have the best teamwork, especially during these times of short-staffed

shifts, increasing mental health patients, and nurses out on COVID exposures.

Nurses also take the lead on our patients. This is especially true when new residents start in the

hospital. We are able to use our clinical judgement to determine if their orders are safe for each

patient. We often take our past experiences and the current situation at hand and make

suggestions to the patient's care. An example that has recently happened during one of my shifts,

a four-month-old patient's arm became increasingly swollen and painful to the touch. The patient

had periorbital edema as well but when bringing the concern to the resident, it was ruled as

"generalized edema". I, as well as the charge nurse, continually brought up our concerns and

thought that a PVL should be ordered just in case. The resident did not order any other testing.

The next night, a different resident was on staff, listened to the concerns of the nursing staff, and

ordered a PVL. The PVL showed a blood clot in her arm. We as nurses show our leadership and

management by advocating for our patients and keep them safe.

Leadership preceptors. (2019, November). http://nursing.kumc.edu/leadership-preceptors.html. 

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing:
theory and application(9th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health.