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Nursing Leadership Theory Paper

Ashlin Fox

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 400-602 Nursing Leadership

Dr. Paula Mundell

April 21, 2024

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Nursing Leadership Theory Paper

I chose my profession in nursing because I truly care for others and want to be able to

help those who cannot help themselves. I have always been a person that cares too much but, I

believe that in the nursing field compassion can be a gift. Sometimes the nurse on a patient’s care

team is the main person they see and talk to during a difficult time in their lives. The nurse can

make a huge difference in a patient’s quality of life just by the care and compassion they show

for that person. Patient’s should always be treated as the people they are and not just a room

number or a task a nurse has to check off of their list. How a nurse treats a patient can make a

huge difference in their recovery. I strive to be a compassionate nurse who cares for her patients

like family and gives them the best possible care. My personal values that I will continue to

incorporate in my nursing career is accountability, compassion, and professionalism. Continuing

education is important for anyone’s nursing career, and I plan to continue my education by

becoming a nurse practitioner and using the servant leadership style to further my career.

Leadership Style

Duggal defines leadership as, “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and

enable other to contribute to the organization’s success (2024).” Duggal defines management as,

“about making sure the day-to-day operations are being performed as expected (2024).” Leaders

must be good with communicating to staff their importance and contributions while also being

persuasive enough to invoke change (Finkelman, 2020). The leadership style I feel best fits me is

the servant leader.

Neville defines a servant leader as those who, “do not seek individual power, instead they

share power with the focus on caring, and are genuinely concerned with the growth and

wellbeing of others in the organization (2021).” The ten characteristics of a servant leader are
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listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship,

commitment to the growth of people, and building community. A servant leader must be able to

listen to the needs of their staff, understand their needs, and empathize with them (Sherman,

2018). A servant leader has the understanding to help resolve problems and conflicts within the

staffing environment and can envision the outcome of a situation, so they are proactive in

helping change it (Sherman, 2018). Servant leaders often feel an obligation to help those they

serve and instead of using their position to coerce change, they are able to use persuasion to

influence the needed changes (Sherman, 2018). Servant leaders understand the value of everyone

who works in the organization and wants to help maximize their strengths to help the

organization flourish (Sherman, 2018).

My Plan to be a Servant Leader

My plan is to eventually become a family medicine nurse practitioner hopefully

specializing more in pediatrics. I plan to use my position to help my organization further develop

the people who work with me to further themselves and their careers. I hope to be a great role

model to my peers and help create a sense of community within the organization to have open

communication with all of those involved. Finkelman states that servant leadership, “delegates

authority to engage staff, praises and celebrates staff successes, focuses on staff not self, provides

opportunities for staff development and learning, and is committed to the organization (2020).”

More people are choosing to use nurse practitioners as their primary care providers, and

this may have to do with the fact that NPs are able to bring a comprehensive perspective as well

as a personal touch to health care (AANP, 2022). NPs are able to assess patients, order tests,

supervise, interpret diagnostics, make diagnoses, manage treatment, prescribe medication,

counsel and educate patients, and coordinate care (AANP, 2022). Most NPs once worked as
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registered nurses for a while before furthering their education. I believe because I will have

experience as an RN before I become a NP, I will be able to empathize with my patients more

and I will be able to see the downfalls in an organization and work to change them. Neville states

that. “servant leadership seeks to involve others in decision making, is strongly based in ethical

and caring behavior and enhances growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of

organization life (2021).” As a servant leader I plan to listen to my peers and know that everyone

has something to bring to the table. Nurses who work on the unit everyday sometimes know

more about what is lacking than some managers on the floor because they are the ones caring for

the patient’s every day. It is also good to get a fresh pair of eyes to see things differently. This is a

way to see what needs to be changed and help influence the change among other members of the

team. As a servant leader I will be able to maximize the strengths of my staff and give them a

voice to provoke change.

Continuing Education

I believe one way for a nurse to be accountable and professional is through lifelong

learning. Lifelong learning means that a person continues to seek out education for their career

throughout their life. The healthcare system is forever changing, and it is a nurses responsibility

to seek the knowledge and competence that reflects the ever-changing nurses practice (Masters,

2023). Patients and their families want to ensure that their healthcare team is giving them the

best care possible and that the teams is the most knowledgeable and up to date on their condition

(Coady, 2021). As nurses continue their education within their career field, they learn the skills to

critically think through situations, collaborate with the multidisciplinary team, learn how to lead

and also how to educate other nurses.

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I believe that lifelong education is essential in healthcare, especially nursing. Patients

depend on nurses to help them and be knowledgeable on the most up to date science and

technology within the healthcare field. By learning all we can and being knowledgeable and

competent in a career that is forever changing, we are able to give the best care possible to our

patients and their families. Nurses should always strive to be the best they can be, and lifelong

learning helps them do that.

Conclusion

Nurses should always want to strive to continue their education and further their careers.

Becoming a nurse practitioner is one way I believe I can help my patients as well as myself.

Continuing my education to learn the ongoing changes in healthcare will help me to give my

patients the best care possible. Servant leadership is a way to help uplift and encourage those

who work in my organization to better themselves and the organization (Sherman, 2018).

I am very passionate about my nursing career, and I believe that with the right education

and determination I will be able to go far in this career field. I believe that if you do something

you love than it isn’t just a job, and you will put your whole heart into it. Being a nurse is not just

a paycheck for me, it is way for me to take my values and strengths and use them to help those in

need. I believe everyone deserves the best care regardless of race, gender, orientation, religion, or

economic status. Every patient deserves care and compassion regardless of their situation and at

the end of a shift if I can make someone’s day just a little bit better than I take that as a win.
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References

Coady, T. (2021, April 1). 5 reasons why lifelong learning is essential in healthcare.

HealthStream. https://www.healthstream.com/resource/blog/five-reasons-why-lifelong-

learning-is-essential-in-healthcare

Duggal, N. (2024, February 1). Leadership vs management: Understanding the key difference:

Simplilearn. Simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/leadership-vs-management-

difference-article

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

Care. Pearson.

Masters, K. (2023). Role development in professional nursing practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett

Learning.

Neville, K., Conway, K., Maglione, J., Connolly, K. A., Foley, M., & Re, S. (2021).

Understanding Servant Leadership in Nursing: A Concept Analysis. International

Journal for Human Caring, 25(1), 22–29.

https://doi-org.libproxy.dtcc.edu/10.20467/HumanCaring-D-20-00022

Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2022).

https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/advocacy-resource/position-statements/nurse-

practitioners-in-primary-care
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Sherman, R. (2018, December 1). The case for Servant Leadership - 2nd Edition. Greenleaf

Center for Servant Leadership. https://www.greenleaf.org/products-page/the-case-for-

servant-leadership-2nd-edition/