As a licensed RN, you have likely had some leadership content in your pre-licensure program and have likely engaged in a variety of leadership roles within your workplace either as a charge nurse on a temporary basis or as a nurse manager.  You may currently be in a formal leadership role within your organization and have experienced informal or formal training on leadership. This chapter will explore leadership and management responsibilities of a BSN prepared nurse. Leadership styles are introduced and readers will explore their own leadership attributes.

An RN is expected to demonstrate leadership and management skills in many facets of the role. Nurses manage care for high-acuity patients as they are admitted, transferred, and discharged; coordinate care among a variety of diverse health professionals; advocate for clients’ needs; and manage limited resources with shrinking budgets (Cherry & Jacob, 2017)

An article published in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing states, “With the growing complexity of healthcare practice environments and pending nurse leader retirements, the development of future nurse leaders is increasingly important (Dyess et al., 2016)

As you begin to explore leadership attributes in this book, a helpful activity is to complete your own workstyles inventory (Applied Learning Activity 1.1).

Next: 1.1 Leadership Styles