Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice

Emma Collins Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England
Patricia Owen Head of school, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England
John Digan Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England
Fiona Dunn Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To be aware of the importance of effective leadership in delivering optimal nursing care

  • To understand the principles of transformational leadership and their application in nursing practice

  • To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

The updated Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for nurses emphasise the importance of nurse leadership, while the NHS has also developed models to support leadership development. There are several approaches to leadership that are applicable in nursing practice. Transformational leadership is an approach that focuses on the attributes and behaviours of the leader required to empower and motivate team members. This article outlines the four elements of transformational leadership – idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration – and discusses these in relation to the NMC standards. It also describes the advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership, and suggests ways that this approach can be applied in nursing practice.

Nursing Standard. 35, 5, 59-66. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11408

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

e.j.collins@keele.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Collins E, Owen P, Digan J et al (2019) Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11408

Published online: 16 December 2019

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