Marquis and Joregensen-Huston (2002) state that the health care system in America is rapidly changing and evolving and that this change requires a continuous effort to plan and manage health care providers. This means that Nurse Administrators in the twenty-first century, perhaps more than ever before, must be good leaders. They must be leaders who can manage and yet be sufficiently flexible to establish collaboration across a diverse and complex healthcare system (Marquis and Joregensen-Huston, 2002).
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the leadership role and related elements required of Nurse Administrators in todayÆs healthcare system. The paper begins with a specification of the scope of the practice. This is followed by an examination of Transformational Leadership Theory and how it can be (and has been) used by Nurse Administrators to meet the administrative healthcare concerns and issues of this new century. An exploration of how to evaluate transformational leadership performance is also provided.
According to Sullivan and Decker (2000), the role of the Nurse Administrator is to assist the nursing staff in delivering quality patient care by working to implement patient care guidelines, ensuring that shifts are adequately staffed, managing the delivery and use of supplies, and managing the budget. The authors also note that Nurse Administrators work in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and various other health care agencies.
As to the core abilities required to effectively fulfill the Nurse Administrator role, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2004) states that these include multiple abilities. Specifically, these are abilities to: (1) develop and articulate a vision for nursing practice in an organization in the context of complex health care delivery systems; (2) employ management skills that facilitate collaborative relationships; (3) select an...