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Where I am now
I am an RN with four years' experience on a cardiac step-down unit, and my manager has asked me to start training as a charge nurse. This plan sets out what kind of leader I want to be, my strengths and gaps, and how I will develop over the next 12 months.
Why relational leadership
A systematic review of 129 studies of leadership styles and outcomes for nurses found clear patterns. Relational leadership styles, such as transformational and resonant leadership, were associated with better outcomes for nurses and their work environments. For example, 52 studies linked relational styles with higher nurse job satisfaction, while 16 linked task-focused styles with lower satisfaction. The authors concluded that leadership focused only on getting tasks done is not enough (Cummings et al., 2018).
Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence (being a role model people trust), inspirational motivation (communicating a shared vision), intellectual stimulation (encouraging people to question and solve problems) and individualized consideration (attending to each person's needs and growth; Bass & Riggio, 2006). These give me a practical framework for my goals.
Self-assessment
| Strengths | Areas to develop |
|---|---|
| Strong clinical knowledge of cardiac patients | Delegating instead of doing tasks myself |
| Colleagues come to me with questions | Handling conflict between staff members |
| Calm in emergencies | Speaking up to physicians and managers about staffing concerns |
| Good at teaching new nurses | Understanding unit budgets and staffing decisions |
SMART goals
- Delegation (individualized consideration): By month 3, I will make assignments that match each nurse's skills and experience on every shift I'm in charge, and ask one nurse each shift for feedback on the assignment.
- Conflict (idealized influence): By month 6, I will complete the hospital's conflict management workshop and use its model in at least two real conversations, then reflect on each with my mentor.
- Voice (inspirational motivation): By month 9, I will present one unit concern, with data, at the monthly staff meeting with my manager.
- Learning (intellectual stimulation): By month 12, I will lead one huddle discussion a month on a practice question, using a short article or unit data.
Timeline and support
| Months | Activities | Support |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Charge nurse orientation; delegation practice | Mentor: an experienced charge nurse |
| 4–6 | Conflict workshop; two reflected conversations | Mentor and unit educator |
| 7–9 | Collect data on a unit concern; present at a staff meeting | Nurse manager |
| 10–12 | Monthly practice huddles; review progress on all goals | Mentor and manager |
Evaluating progress
I will keep a leadership journal after each charge shift, ask my mentor for structured feedback at months 3, 6 and 12, and ask staff for anonymous feedback on my charge shifts at month 12. Success means staff describe me as fair and approachable, and that I can handle a difficult shift without taking over everyone's tasks.
References
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.04.016
