Differences between Management and Leadership Roles in Nursing (Essay Sample)

Nursing Leadership and Management
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Differences between Management and Leadership Roles in Nursing
Healthcare is a field that involves activities conducted by groups of professionals, and in such settings, there has to be an individual in a leadership position. However, some of the people that are leaders in a nursing environment have managerial attributes while others have leadership traits. Although the traditional distinctions between nursing management and leadership have narrowed, the fact that their coursework is different in some institutions implies that they could be dissimilar (Jennings et al., 2007). The qualities that leaders, as well as managers, are expected to have in many organizations are meant to coordinate the activities of the people who report to the management and improve the organizational performance.
For an individual in an executive position, the management roles that one has differs from the leadership responsibilities that they have. Managers in healthcare institutions primarily oversee the activities of the nursing staff, and they are responsible for the units that they lead. Most managers are also problem-focused, and they employ a range of skills such as timing and staging issues to establish their strategies and make the appropriate decisions (Klainberg & Dirschel, 2010). As managers focus on a particular issue, they have to apply the tactics that would bring out the best outcome in that situation.
The elements of leadership are, however, different from those of management in the sense that leaders do not always aim at resolving controversial issues in a clinical setting. Some of the attributes that characterize a nursing leader include self-confidence, care, communication, the ability to create opportunities, and having a vision (Glazer & Fitzpatrick, 2013). An individual who has such attributes would, therefore, consider the nursing staff as partners in the organization, and one would not just focus on responding to the problems without first treating the team members well.
Descriptions of Individuals with Leadership and Management Behaviors
Persons that have leadership attributes in a nursing environment might not be good managers especially if they do not possess management qualities. In a previous practice setting, some of the people that were in executive positions displayed managerial qualities while others had leadership attributes. One of these leaders was always supportive of the nursing staff, and this form of empowerment helped the nurses to conduct their duties effectively. The relationships that nursing leaders establish with their subordinates are based on a bonding and interactive nature, and they would also persuade others in a positive manner (Glazer & Fitzpatrick, 2013). Since this leader had a good relationship with the majority of the nursing staff, he could achieve the organizational goals while giving the employees a sense of self-worth with their jobs.
The same setting that had the nurse manager with the leadership attributes also had others with manager...