The Importance Of Leadership Styles In Nursing

In conclusion, there are numerous leadership styles employed in differing forums worldwide. Within nursing, leadership is a necessity given the complex challenges facing the healthcare industry. Nursing leadership can be employed at all levels of hierarchy, in affecting policy and creating change at an organisation level, in ensuring smooth management of the non-static and unpredictable nature of shift work, and in offering such leadership clinical teaching (Nursing Times, 2011). As there are circumstances in which certain styles may be considered ineffective/detrimental, so too are there factors impacting the delivery of leadership within clinical practice/teaching. Such factors may include stress/burnout/large workloads, (The Online Recruitment
Situational leadership can prove efficient in providing a framework for situation/team/individual assessment to provide adaption/alteration of directive or supportive behaviours to enhance outcomes. This adaption occurs in response to the level of readiness/existing skills and developmental state (Rabarison, Ingram, & Holsinger, 2013). This is the ‘gold standard’ of leadership styles for educational purposes and can enhance the learning process and level of competency of the pupil/team or inexperienced practitioner through scaffolding (Thompson & Vecchio, 2009). There are various theories of leadership, but the contingency theory of leadership provides a focus on environmental variables in determining the most appropriate form of leadership. As research would determine, no leadership style can accommodate the evolving needs of an organisation and its success is primarily driven by the leadership style, the individualised attributes of the leader, and the details pertaining to the situation itself (Gupta,