Running head: PERSONAL AND LEADERSHIP NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal and Leadership Nursing Philosophy

Kreya Patel

East Tennessee State University

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Nursing is a field that requires a strong viewpoint and leadership to be successful in all

aspects of this career, thus finding a leadership style and personal philosophy is essential to

prosper. A nurse is constantly using leadership skills in delegating to personnel, caring for

patients, and working under or as management. The type of leader influences the quality of

patient care, work environment, and employee or team satisfaction (Sfantou et al. 2017). An

amicable leadership style is crucial because a leader serves as an example to people as someone

that is looked up to for their personality traits and a source to draw traits from (Frandsen, 2014).

A personal nursing philosophy is also extremely important in deciding the kind of nursing style

one wants to adopt and the type of care that will be provided to patients.

“Leadership has been defined as the relationship between the individual/s who lead and

those who take the choice to follow, while it refers to the behavior of directing and coordinating

the activities of a team or group of people towards a common goal” (Sfantou et al. 2017, p.1).

There are many leadership styles such as transactional, transformational, autocratic,

laissez-faire, task-oriented, and relationship-oriented (Sfantou et al. 2017). Transformational

style promotes building relationships and encouraging staff (Sfantou et al. 2017). Transactional

style leaders promote change from a position of power to improve production (Sfantou et al.

2017). Autocratic style leaders make decisions without considering the sentiments of their staff

and this style is preferred in emergent situation (Sfantou et al. 2017). Laissez-faire style leaders

do not engage in managing their staff and let them act independently without regulation (Sfantou

et al. 2017). Task-oriented leaders plan activities and clarify roles while maintaining supervision

(Sfantou et al. 2017). Relationship-oriented leaders encourage, support, and recognize their

employees (Sfantou et al. 2017). I would aim to be a transformational style leader as well as

being relationship oriented. I want progress and improvement by keeping coworkers or staff
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updated and getting their opinions, so they feel involved in the decision-making process. The

working environment should feel supportive to individual ambitions by incorporating them in the

collective goal. As a leader, I want my employees to be able to approach me with issues so they

can be solved in a professional manner. According to Sfantou et al. (2017), suitable leadership

increases patient satisfaction, decreased number of adverse events, is correlated to effective

management and patient safety consideration.

“Empowering leadership is related to patient outcomes by promoting greater nursing

expertise through increased staff stability, and reduced turnout. Effective leadership has an

indirect impact on reducing mortality rates, by inspiring, retaining and supporting experienced

staff” (Sfantou et al. 2017, p.2).

Dorothea Orem’s theory is centered on nursing care of those receiving it as well as

providing it (Younas, 2017). According to Younas (2017), a human has common needs that are

required for well-being, which is impaired while in a compromised state of health. Jean Watson’s

theory of human caring consists of 10 clinical caritas that include kindness for self and other,

having and spreading faith, and practice nurturing (Santos et al. 2014). A nurse must develop

trusting relationships, accepting feelings, using scientific problem solving, address individual

needs, create a healing environment, aid with basic needs, and being open to nonscientific

wonders according to the 10 caritas (Santos et al. 2014). Orem and Watson’s theories have

shaped my personal nursing philosophy. My personal philosophy is of patient centered care in

which I would care for the patient in a holistic manner. A patient needs psychological care as

well as physiological treatment while being in an altered state of health. “The patient is the

center of care and is the focus of most nursing theories, so the most effective theories prove to

benefit the patient in their physical and mental recovery from health-related conditions or other
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aspects affecting the patient” (Patel, 2017, p.2). In the process of recovery, the patient has

positive reactions when they feel like they are involved, and their choices taken into

consideration (Patel, 2017). Patient and provider satisfaction are improved by including the

patient in care decisions (Patel, 2017).

The results of the above-mentioned theories show that providing choices and taking

opinions into consideration yields satisfaction in all parties involved in giving and receiving care

as well as leaders and followers. Leadership style will impact the quality of care provided to

patients and personal philosophy is based on patient care needs, thus one will affect the other in

many ways. If one’s philosophy is to be controlling of care needs, their leadership style may be

autocratic or transactional. Patient care and work environment are two important factors in a

nursing workday, one’s personal nursing theory and leadership style is impactful in both factors.

The traits of a good leader are shown while taking care of a patient or managing a nursing

unit. The outcomes of a thoughtful leader with an effective style incorporating a wholesome

personal philosophy tend to be satisfactory (Sfantou et al. 2017). My leadership style is a mix of

transformational and relationship oriented, this makes each individual feel like an essential part

of the team. This would build morale and achievements in the department as well as retain

employees (Frandsen, 2014). My leadership style is influenced by my personal nursing

philosophy, providing patients and coworkers with choices and taking their thoughts in

consideration creates a healthy working and healing environment. A leader and care provider are

similar due to being managers of people whether it be their health or their work and having a

proficient way to carry out one role will greatly influence the other.
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References

Frandsen, B. (2014). Nursing Leadership Management & Leadership Styles. American

Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination. Retrieved from

https://www.aanac.org/docs/white-papers/2013-nursing-leadership---management-

leadership-styles.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Patel, K. (2017). A Nursing Philosophy. Unpublished manuscript. College of Nursing, East

Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee.

Santos, M., Bousso, R., Vendramim, P., Baliza, M., Misko, M., & Silva, L. (2014). The practice

of nurses caring for families of pediatric inpatients in light of Jean Watson. Revista da

Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 48(spe), 80-86. doi: 10.1590/S0080-

623420140000600012

Sfantou, D. F., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A. E., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou,

E. (2017). Importance of Leadership Style towards Quality of Care Measures in

Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 5(4), 73.

doi:10.3390/healthcare5040073

Younas, A. (2017). A foundational analysis of Dorothea Orem's self-care theory and evaluation

of its significance for nursing practice and research. Creative Nursing, 23(1), 13-23. doi:

10.1891/1078-4535.23.1.13