CLINICALLY DISCUSS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED FOR NURSING Essay

CLINICALLY DISCUSS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED FOR NURSING LEADERSHP IN AN INTERPERSONAL TEAM - Essay Example The mental health care sector in United Kingdom has in the last few years focused on transformational leadership as it seeks to improve the quality of service and patients outcome ((Allen, Gilbert & Onyett 2009). Some of the fundamentals of leadership include interpersonal relationship skills, empowerment of individuals, ability to instill confidence in others and ability to apply the problem-solving process. In today’s rapidly changing practice environment, nurse leaders are challenged to exert effective leadership in order to promote effective organization and increase individual productivity. The nurse leadership in UK mental institutions is expected to develop strategies capable of enabling followers to cope with inevitable changes within the mental healthcare setting as well as adapt to such changes in a positive way (Allen, Gilbert & Onyett 2009). This paper explores the knowledge and skills required for nursing leadership in an interpersonal team. Leadership Theories an d Models Effective nurse leadership requires knowledge of various leadership theories, principles and the use of such theories to guide all actions within the healthcare setting. ... Creative leadership can be demonstrated by ability to apply professional knowledge, personal power, and cultivation of appropriate personal values in the process of delivering care. The need for creative leadership has been triggered by increased diversity of staff and clients, significant shift from formal leadership to self-managed teams, and emergence of nurse leaders who serve as team leaders, internal consultants as well as sponsors. Owing to such changes, nurse leaders should demonstrate several competencies including effective, innovative and creative problem solvers, change makers, technology masters, team players, effective communicators, and ambassadors (Clark 2008). These competencies have become a necessity in the current highly dynamic mental health care setting in UK. The common leadership styles or models include the autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles. Autocratic leadership styles involves making of decisions at the leadership or individual leve l without consulting other stakeholders within the healthcare setting. This form of leadership has been associated with several negative impacts including bad feelings among other workers, undercover retaliations, increased resistance, conflicts, low morale and low productivity. On the other hand, the democratic approach entails involvement of other people in the decision making process although the final decision may finally come from the leadership after consultations. A democratic leadership style takes into consideration ideas of other stakeholders and factors in such ideas in coming up with the final decision (Nagelkerk 2005). This way, followers are made to feel that they are part of