Nursing

Ask the expert: Influencing nurses to become leaders

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, July 3, 2007

This week, a reader asks how mentors can influence staff nurses to transition into leadership roles. Read the response below from our advisor Diana Swihart, PhD, DMin, MSN, CS, APRN, RN-BC, ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® director, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, St. Petersburg, FL.

Q: How can mentors influence staff nurses to help them grow into leadership roles?

A: Mentors can influence staff nurses to meet the challenges needed to mature into leaders through such communicated acts as listening, trusting, learning, storytelling, celebrating, empowering, and allowing staff nurses to realize their own potential to become leaders.

Leadership, like mentoring, is an influence process. Staff nurses are called to lead in team nursing, charge nursing, and patient care coordination. Leaders influence the thoughts and actions of others toward goal accomplishment and improved patient care outcomes. Through credible service and application of knowledge to practice, staff nurses who become leaders through the help of their mentors can learn how to influence other people, teams, and even organizations.

Staff nurses' leadership potential and effectiveness are largely determined by their mentor's ability and willingness to empower, teach, and coach. Mentors should coach staff nurses who want to be leaders in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are critical for ongoing effective leadership skills in an ever-changing environment of care.

Editor's note: Do you have a question for one of our advisors? If you'd like us to consider your query for publication, please send it to Cameran Erny.

Most Popular

Related Articles