1

Nursing Leadership Theory Paper

Ashley Altman 

Delaware Tech and Community College 

Nur400-501

E. Ortiz

February 19, 2023

 2

The profession of nursing is ever changing and fast growing, that needs inspiring role

models and leaders. Nurse leaders help transform the healthcare system and improve patient care

outcomes (Arkansas State University, 2021). Nurse leaders focus primarily on change and have

wider view of organizations and strategies. Leaders gain their control by influencing others to get

their work done in a timely and proper manner. Leaders commit to learning and growth and

encourage staff to further they education (Finkelman, 2020). Leaders can be identified as a nurse

leader or a nurse manager.

Both nurse managers and nurse leaders are skilled Registered Nurses (RN) that have

similar skill sets and practice but are not the same in job roles. Nurse leaders is set to

improving nursing practice and outcomes, they are a less hands-on approach developing the

operation behind the curtain. RNs in this position can be considered a Head nurse, Patient

Care Director, or Chief Nurse (Nightingale College, 2021).  A leader is someone who always

takes the initiative and invests a great effort to accomplish the company’s vision (Duggal, N.

2023). Some roles of a nurse leaders are developing strategies for reducing patient

readmission, reducing cost, developing treatment plan, and much more (Nightingale College,

2021).

A Nurse Manager is for carrying out the four important functions of management: planning,

organizing, leading, and controlling. Managers can only become leaders if they adequately

carry out leadership responsibilities, including communication of good and bad, providing

inspiration and guidance, and encouraging employees to rise to a higher level of productivity

(Duggal, N. 2023). Some roles of a nurse manager are hiring/firing, creating schedules,

offering career advice, managing budget, and much more (Nightingale College, 2021).
 3

The difference in roles of management is to control a group of individuals in order to achieve

a specified objective. Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and

enable others to contribute to the organization's success (Duggal, N. 2023). 

To become an effective nurse leader, there are several theories and styles that have been

developed that affect they way leadership is carried out. After learning about all the different

theories, Drucker’s Theory and Transformational leadership are the two theories that resemble

me take on leadership. Drucker viewed leadership as a team effort and felt it was important to be

a participatory organization. Drucker felt that staff should be included in planning and

establishing goals and decision making (Finkelman, 2020). Transformational leaders are known

to encourage, inspire and motivate employees to perform in ways that create meaningful

change. These leaders focus less on making decisions or establishing strategic plans, and more

on facilitating organizational collaboration that can help drive a vision forward (U of Mass,

n.d.). I feel like I tend to focus more on teamwork and organizational aspects of work to help

with the goals of patient care and safety like these leaders do in Drucker’s theory and

transformation style.

To become a successful leader in Drucker’s theory or as a transformational leader, you

must accel in specific qualifications. These traits to a great leader are advocacy, listening,

optimism, empathy, honesty, and inspirational (Arkansas State University, 2021). As a leader,

it would be my main obligation to extend my knowledge and continue my education on a daily

basis. Continuing my growth will show my determination in my position and show my

dedication to the staff members and persuade them to further their education. As an effective

leader, my plan would be to work with my colleagues not above them. When teamwork and
 4

collaboration is a first priority then work can be done more efficiently and properly. When all

staff can join forces and decision make together, then everyone can feel heard and important in

their position. I truly believe the most important aspect of a nurse leader is to advocate for all;

patients and other staff members. As a leader of either style, Drucker or Transformational, you

must be able to empathize for all and be their voice when needed the most. For our patients,

sometimes they feel as though they are not heard and need that additional support to be able to

get the adequate care they need and so deserve. For other staff members, as leaders we need to be

able to support our team members and give encouragement and constructive criticism where it is

due. Nurse leaders are important in all aspects of the health care setting, we are there for

ourselves, our team/ colleagues, and most importantly our patients.

Nurse leaders have to maintain life-long growth and knowledge by continuing to progress

their learning with education and new policy and procedures. Drucker believed that knowledge

workers should never stop learning, but they are responsible for incorporating continuous

learning into daily life. One way to learn is to teach. As Drucker acknowledged, "No one learns

as much as the person who must teach his subject" (Rosenstein, 2010).

Drucker’s theory and transformational theory are similar in styles, both maintaining a

participatory leadership, collaborating with their staff for decision making, and key objectives

being communication and advocacy. As a leader, it is important to communicate clearly with

your staff. Clear communication allows a leader to deliver their expectations and provide

assessments of nursing staff's efforts to help meet expectations. It is important for a leader to

communicate clearly both in person and through written communications such as emails (Indeed,

2022). Advocacy is a must to ensure appropriate resources and to promote positive work

environments. Advocacy skills include problem-solving, communication, and collaboration.

 5

“All nurses can advocate for better workplace conditions and stand up for the

nursing profession. An environment that promotes respect for nurses and

their health and well-being helps nurture nurses who are better role models,

educators, and advocates, which is beneficial "personally, for the family, for the

community, for the work environment, and for the patient" (Arkansas State

University, 2021).

Another responsibility is ensuring quality patient care. As healthcare focuses on an increasing

number of safety initiatives, nurse leaders are key to successful outcomes (Arkansas State

University, 2021).

Nurse leaders are a huge part of a successful nursing collaborative team. Nurse leaders

are the glue to the health care setting. These leaders are who provide the structure in a setting and

provide encouragement, strength, empowerment, and inspiration to all their staff members,

colleagues, and patients. We need nurse leaders to be able to maintain a properly working

structure for our patients and to provide the needed growth and education to all nurses.
 6

References

Arkansas State University. (2021). The Role of Nurse Leaders. Nurse Leaders Advocate for

Patients and the Nursing Profession (astate.edu)

Duggal, N. (2023). Leadership vs. Management: Understanding the Key

Difference.  https://www.simplilearn.com/leadership-vs-management-difference-article

Finkelman, A. (2020). Leadership and Management for Nurses: Core Competencies for Quality

Care. Pearson.

Indeed Editorial Team. (2022). What is Transformation Leadership in Nursing? What Is

Transformational Leadership in Nursing? | Indeed.com

Nightingale College. (2021). Leadership and Management Roles in Nursing: Difference,

Similarities, and Everything Else You Need to

Know. https://nightingale.edu/blog/nursing-leadership-and-management/

Rosenstein, B. (2010). Peter Drucker’s Principals for a “Total Life”. Peter Druckers

Principles for a Total Life - ASME

U. of Mass. (n.d.) What is Transformational Leadership? Understanding the impact of

inspirational guidance. https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/what-is-

transformational-leadership