Helen Windon
NURS-6110-6 The Nurse Leader: New Perspectives on the Profession
July 10, 2011
Instructor Name
Leaders and Followers: The roles we each play
Introduction
Throughout nursing history there have been great leaders. In every nurses career there are leaders we work with that we come to admire and may even attempt to emulate. As I continue my journey to becoming a Masters prepared nurse I will need to step up as a leader. It is a role that The Nurse Leader: New Perspectives on the Profession is providing the information and understanding of how I will need to progress. The question “Are you a leader or are you a follower?” is one I will now be able to answer.
Followership Style
Am I a leader or a follower? If I am a follower what type of follower am I? Followership is a term I had not heard before beginning this leadership class. Taking the Followership Style Test provided by Grossman & Valiga (2009, pg. 56-57) was interesting. Scoring a 3.7, my personal followership style is described as moderately participative or Independent worker; does not need close supervision just a bit of feedback. I actually was not surprised by the results of the test. I am an experienced nurse with more than 20 years working in and around surgical services. At this point in my career I am expected to function independently and work as a leader and resource for my peers. The
* With information from the Learning Resources in mind, what implications does this score have for your role as a leader?
I am independent of management in my daily work ethic…
* Were you surprised by the outcome of the test? If yes, explain how. If the results were consistent with your expectations, offer evidence to support that assertion. * How can information gained in this survey help you become a more effective follower?
Role of a Follower * Describe a role in your professional life in
References: Grossman, S. C., & Valiga, T. M. (2009). Followership and empowerment. In S. C. Grossman & T. M. Valiga (Eds.), The new leadership challenge: creating the future of nursing (pp. 35-59). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.