Nursing leadership is an instrumental asset in advancing the nursing profession. Highly-skilled nurse leaders can play an integral role in healthcare collaboration. When it comes to healthy work environments, team building in nursing and advancing nursing practice our nursing leaders are a mandatory piece of the puzzle. When we think of a highly-skilled nurse leader some questions begin to bubble up:

• What attributes make a successful nursing leader?

• How do nurse leaders relate to change?

• Can a nurse learn to be a successful leader, and how?

It has been extremely windy here in Maryland. Yesterday, after dinner, we sat in our living room just enjoying the end of the weekend. I have quite a few wind chimes hanging on several corners of the property and a flag out front on the porch. I noticed that each and every chime was sounding its melody in the wind, which is pretty unusual because typically the wind is either in the front or back of the house- rarely on both sides.

Today the wind continues on and seems to have picked up something fierce. I looked outside to see what my pups were up to on the front porch (I put them outside in the mornings to sun themselves) and there were huge branches all over the front lawn.

As always, we can learn a lot from Mother Nature. Wind is another one of those weather patterns that shares simple teaching with us. Wind is all about change. The wind stirs things up, in a variety of strengths and speeds. Wind blows out the old and invites in the new. Healthcare has been experiencing massive shifts in the past few years. With healthcare reform, the boom of technology and the aging population nursing leadership is at the forefront of this culture of change.

When there is change we need strong leadership. Here are 3 attributes of highly-skilled nurse leaders:

• Nursing leaders are change agents. Last week I attended an exceptional tweetchat put on by the Healthcare Leadership Group. Here’s the blog post that went along with the chat content. The discussion during the tweetchat filled me with a ray of hope. And like the lessons we receive from the gusting winds of nature, change is movement. Leaders in nursing are people who flow with change, inspire shifts and can move people through action.
• Nurse leaders are able to relate to all levels. Last week I worked in patient transport and with the linen stock team. Union employees of our hospital were on strike and the clinical staff pitched in to ensure patients and families received seamless care. At several points throughout my day, my breath was taken away and I felt tears catch in my throat. Every single healthcare role is crucial for patient healing. Leaders are able to relate not only to their work, but also to the work of every single level involved. Nursing leadership walks in the scrubs of every team player, putting themselves in all levels of shoes.
• Nursing leadership takes pride in self-care and self-empowerment. Today I am taking it easy. On Saturday I cleaned/cleared out the garage and every closet of my home. Yesterday I stained my deck. Today I am physically drained. And it’s a Monday. Thankfully I am off of my ‘job’ today and so I work from home. I spent the morning just sitting. I sat on the porch for about an hour, just enjoying the sun and breathing. A nurse leader works when it it time, and also allows for play. Nursing leadership values self-care as more important than any other kind. To be a in a leadership role as a nurse, you have got to empower your inner perspectives so you can enjoy your external environments.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or reactions to leadership in nursing. What attributes would you add to this list? How do you show up as a nurse leader in your role? Thank you for reading and enjoy the day.