Megan Wheat
Southern Crescent Technical College The Different Styles of Nursing Leadership There have been various styles of nursing leadership throughout the years and have ranged from a more autocratic role, in which a single person is in complete charge, to a more laid back setting in which all those in the workplace share the responsibility of leading each other. Nursing in the past has focused more on the autocratic side, but overtime has become more diverse and more centered on dispersing the responsibilities of leadership equally throughout the work place. Each health care setting will be unique in its way of operation and will vary from site to site. This will allow nurses to choose …show more content…
510). This style of leadership has been most widely used throughout hospitals in the past, which could be attributed to nursing beginning its roots in the military and its very autocratic nature (Taylor, Lillis, Lynn, LeMone, 2015, p. 511). However, this style of leadership is slowly being taken over for a more democratic one in which the decisions are being more evenly dispersed throughout the nursing staff. There are some instances however, such as in emergency situations where an action needs to be taken quickly, in which an autocratic style of leadership is not only necessary but can be critical to the life of the patient. This style is a perfect example of leadership that is completely dependent upon the situation at hand. (Taylor, Lillis, Lynn, LeMone, 2015, p. …show more content…
“Transactional leadership is based on a task-and-reward orientation.” (Taylor, Lillis, Lynn, LeMone, 2015, p. 512). Leaders in this style of nursing maintains the sole control of the employees and offers rewards or punishment according to the behavior and compliance of its employees with rules and regulations. This style is often used in health care organizations because of its role in providing direction and allowing individuals to be recognized for their ability to complete tasks and meet deadlines (Taylor, Lillis, Lynn, LeMone, 2015). Under this leadership the staff has very little control over the decisions being made, and often times may not agree with the vision of leaderships