Leadership and management in nursing is a critical section of healthcare that requires a high level of expertise and knowledge. Although management and leadership in nursing mainly mention together, the function and roles of nurse leaders and managers differ in aspects such as credentials, responsibilities, and tasks.

In this article, we give the differences between leadership and management in nursing, define leadership roles and management functions in nursing, mention a few leadership and management theories, and discuss the qualities of successful nursing leaders and managers.

You can contact us anytime to inquire about leadership and management in nursing or any other nursing topic you may need professional help understanding. Our experts will take you through a step-by-step guide and help you understand your topic’s basics. That will help you in your assignments or prepare you for your future career.

What is Nursing Leadership and Management?

Leadership and management in nursing refer to the roles of competent nursing executives who oversee the organizational structure of the nursing department, policy, and decision-making, directing other nursing staff, and leading them in providing patient care in the health care system.

Nurse leaders vs nurse managers

Nursing leaders

Nurse leaders lead projects that improve nursing practices leading to positive outcomes. They can achieve this by relying on their ability to inspire and motivate the nursing staff and teams to develop high-quality patient care strategies and practices. Nurse leaders are in the highest hierarchy and are less involved in daily nursing roles.

For instance, a nurse leader oversees new patient care policies and ensures they are executed by conducting strategic planning and working with the nursing staff.

Nurse managers

The role of nurse managers is to manage the nursing staff, departments, and teams to ensure the best patient care in the facility. Unlike nurse leaders, nurse managers actively direct day-to-day activities and routines in the facility to ensure the efficiency of service delivery in terms of treatment plans and patient care.

Nurse managers oversee recruitment, staffing, and performance reviews for their nurse teams. Their role is mostly leadership skills, although they work with the nursing teams to implement the incentives and policies set by the nurse leaders.

Difference between Leadership and Management in Nursing

In this post, we will give you the difference between leadership and management in nursing in terms of their roles, tasks they perform, education programs they pursue, and their credentials.

Roles

The role of a nurse leader is to perform oversight functions in the health facility, such as policy setting, department reorganization, decision-making on the best strategies to accomplish the facility’s long-term goals, aligning with the core values, and providing better patient care and treatment plans. Nurse managers work with the nursing teams to ensure that they achieve this.

Tasks

The tasks of nurse leaders and managers differ depending on their qualifications. The task of a nurse leader is to set organizational policies and standards, initiate change and transformation in the facility and influence the nursing staff. On the other hand, nurse managers work directly with their departments, nurse teams, and patients. They are directly involved, and their task is to ensure a smooth flow of work during patient care and treatment and ensure patient details are well captured and stored. The nurse managers directly supervise and manage outcomes in the health organization.

Credentials

Nurse leaders must acquire Certification in Executive Nursing Practice to perform administrative roles in executive positions within a healthcare facility. Nurse managers acquire Certified Nurse Manager and Leader credentials to help them work closely with nurse teams to deliver patient care, treatment, and procedures well. 

Essential Qualities of Management and Leadership in Nursing

Although leadership and management in nursing differ in some ways, nurse leaders and nurse managers must have the following qualities to perform their functions effectively. 

Leadership skills

The parties in management and leadership in nursing should possess strong leadership skills. For a nurse to come up with policies, implement, supervise, and direct other nurse teams and staff, they need to be in charge, motivate, and develop effective strategies to improve patient care, treatment plans, and nursing practices in general.

Teamwork skills

To become a successful nurse leader or manager, you should be good at leadership management and teamwork in nursing. Building a healthy relationship with the nursing staff and teams will make it easier for you to work together, share ideas, and ask for their opinions. Involving them in decision-making can help you achieve the company’s long-term goal. A lack of teamwork skills can make it hard to navigate the culture and maintain the core values to deliver quality services.

Technical skills

This entails computer proficiency. The nurse leader and manager should be able to use a computer to access various company databases, communicate with supervisors and teams, and organize patient medical reports. In this era, to qualify for leadership and management in nursing, you need to be able to interact with technology to ensure the success of the medical organization.

Communication skills

In nursing, communication skills are vital. The nature of the job requires daily communication with patients, nursing teams, and other healthcare staff. Leadership and management in nursing require proficiency in interpersonal communication, written communication, and listening skills.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence enables nurse leaders and nurses to talk to patients and their relatives, empathize with their thoughts and feelings, provide care and understand what they need to do to comfort them. A medical environment can sometimes be agitating; hence, as a manager or nursing leader, you need to deal with exhausted nurses and healthcare staff.

Importance of Leadership and Management in Nursing

Leadership and management in nursing can affect the facility, people, or staff performance negatively or positively. As health facilities strive to develop patient-centered strategies and policies, it is good to acknowledge the importance of leadership and management in nursing.

Leadership skills are necessary across all hierarchical positions of a medical organization. Management and leadership highly contribute to success and directly affect nursing practices regarding patient care, procedures, and treatment plans. With good leadership and management, nurses can continue to thrive and provide the best patient care and other services.

Improving the Quality of Care and Patient Safety

Effective leadership and management in nursing, leadership, can easily change the state of the medical facility. The relationship between the nurse leaders and the nurse teams determines the quality of patient care and safety. Effective leadership leads to a more productive work environment. If there is a risk, the nursing teams can report to their managers and leaders, who take appropriate measures to control and manage them, prioritizing the patient and nurse’s needs and preferences. This leads to patient safety assurance and positive outcomes in the organization.

To deliver quality patient care and assure safety, the nurse leaders, managers, teams, and staff must work as a team. The leader should possess all the qualities we stated in this article and involve the teams more in decision-making. The nurses interact with patients daily; hence, they understand their needs more than the managers and leaders. Giving them a chance in policy and decision-making is one of the effective ways of helping the organization achieve its goals and objectives. 

Management and Team Working in Nursing

Among the leadership roles and management functions in nursing is that the leaders and managers are accountable for proper duty delegation, nursing practice management, and patient treatment and care supervision. They are also responsible for disciplining, communicating and collaborating with the staff.

An excellent way to achieve organizational goals is by ensuring sound management and teamwork in nursing. That promotes a mood where everyone is focused on achieving shared goals and promoting a patient-centered environment. Each nursing staff has unique skills and strengths, and promoting teamwork helps them to employ them to provide high-quality services. That leads to patient satisfaction and good outcomes for the medical facility.

Implementing Change as a Nurse Leader

Good leadership and management in nursing make it easy for staff to provide quality services and assure patient safety. With constantly changing rules and policies, nursing staff must adjust to new patient care practices. That can come with new challenges and opportunities. A good leader can help the nursing teams and staff navigate these changes without feeling the impact.

They will develop policies and strategies that favor everyone in the facility and show them the importance of implementing them. Leadership and management in nursing require communication at all levels to make the organization successful.

Do You Want to Learn More About Leadership and Management in Nursing?

Influential nurse leaders and managers use leadership and management theories in nursing. They help to guide their decision. Some of these theories include behavioral theory, trait theory, great man theory, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and collective leadership, among others.

Understanding what these theories are about and how to apply them makes nursing leadership and management more effortless and effective. They pair that with technical skills, problem-solving skills, team player, and change makers. To learn more about leadership and management in nursing, contact us today.