Posted: December 12th, 2022
Are you asking questions like, “What are the different leadership styles in nursing?” Did you know there are various types of leadership styles in nursing? This article will help you as an aspiring or a current nurse to learn about the different types of leadership styles in nursing, the importance of developing a leadership style as a nurse leader, and more information about their pros and cons.
Leadership styles in nursing refer to a nurse leader’s personality traits and behavior when managing and leading nurses in a healthcare environment. Depending on their preferences, nurse leaders can adopt one or a combination of two types of leadership styles in nursing to help them reach their goals when managing, directing, guiding, and motivating their teams.
There are many reasons why developing leadership styles in nursing is crucial. It may take a while for nurse leaders to learn and establish their leadership styles in nursing but when nurse leaders have honed their types of leadership styles in nursing and what makes their teams achieve more, they do what it takes to improve patient outcomes and build a good reputation for the institution.
Autocratic Leadership Style
The autocratic leadership style, also called the Authoritarian style, is used by those in power. That occurs when the leader strongly controls and dictates the situations and actions of those they lead. In this style of leadership, there is a clear division of rules and processes. The input from team members is very little to none. When correctly used by a nurse leader, this type of leadership style can bear good results.
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Example: Nurse Gabelmann is the nurse leader at a pediatric hospital. She sets very rigid and strict rules for how the pediatric nursing department will run. Some kids with breathing problems caused by the fire that broke out at their school are admitted to the hospital and have longer stays. This means the nurses can have opportunities to develop closer bonds with their clients. Because the staff nurses interact closely with patients daily, they should have more input regarding patient care plans. However, because Nurse Gabelmann applies an autocratic leadership style, she dismisses the opinions of the nursing staff. Instead, without caring for their responses, she creates nursing care plans and assigns them.
The laissez-faire leadership style is defined by a nurse manager who allows considerable freedom in the team they lead. While promoting creativity and ingenuity, they typically offer minimal supervision and don’t offer guidance. This is one of the types of leadership styles in nursing often seen among new nurse leaders without experience.
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As a nurse leader, if it is ok with you to delegate roles and responsibilities, giving the rest a chance to grow, this leadership style may be something you can achieve. Although to implement the Laissez-faire leadership style, you must have the capacity to recognize when to be proactive when advocating for patients and staff.
The democratic style is one of the most used types of leadership styles in professional nursing. It mainly focuses on enhancing participation from all team members in decision-making and process development. Often the democratic type of leadership style in nursing encourages personal and professional growth. It promotes fairness through open opportunities to discuss issues, brings ideas and solutions, and votes on outcomes.
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It might be more challenging to make fast decisions because the decision-making process requires the input of everybody.
In transactional types of leadership styles in nursing, those being led may fear making mistakes because failure will affect their long-term relationship with the leader. This can prevent the nurses from reaching their full potential because there are consequences for failing.
Example: The transactional nurse leader may offer cash prizes to a nurse who completes compiling their weekly reports before the deadline.
Transformational leadership is one of the common types of leadership styles in nursing that apply where the nurse leader serves as a role model, builds a positive relationship, motivates, and hopes to transform the team through the power of attitude and intellectual stimulation. Transformational leaders are enthusiastic and charismatic and focus on influencing their teams to grow and change.
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Bureaucratic types of leadership styles in nursing are characterized by a well-defined chain of command, conformity to rules, and strict regulations. Nurse leaders who follow this type of leadership style in nursing rely on their hierarchical position of roles to influence team members. This leadership and management style in nursing may be defined by an organizational structure with clear expectations and measurable standards for the performance of each employee.
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Servant leadership is one of the known types of leadership styles in nursing that focuses on serving first. Servant nurse leaders put the needs of their teams and the patients the teams serve first. Servant nurse leaders provide team members with the skills, tools, and relationships they need to perform their jobs and achieve their goals. They also try so much to involve their teams in decision-making processes.
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As you have read in this article, there are 7 types of leadership styles in nursing. Suppose you are a nurse leader or an aspiring leader and you may be wondering which leadership and management styles in nursing suit you. From the different types of leadership styles in nursing we have given you, you can determine which one works for you by evaluating your strength and weaknesses, knowing your personality traits, and learning about what you value most in your personal and professional life. Do you need your copy? Order now!
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