Contemporary perspectives on leadership and management in nursing

The evolution of research on contemporary perspectives on leadership and management in nursing shows different strands and contrasts. However, in the current scenario, with its continuous technological innovations and marketing requirements, there is no room for maintaining archaic patterns of management or leadership¹.

Innovative models are encouraged and stand out as a priority for the Ministry of Health. They are taken into account in the Pact for Management of the Single Health system - SUS². Development of knowledge about management in the Health Sector - both public and private, is indispensable: the increasing complexity of this scenario is a major challenge for the entire chain of organizations that comprise it. Investment in competence in management and leadership will have an important impact on society, and the incorporation of the results of research on the health system and health services is one of the main challenges. It is therefore necessary to invest in effective and efficient strategies to transfer the knowledge acquired, so as to use it to benefit the population.

For this to take place, investment must be made in models of leadership that enable taking collective and assertive decisions, including the workers in the reflective process by means of intense and dialogic communication, turning evidence into practice and practice into evidence. This is the basis of Transformational Leadership, a model that inspires and trains those led to achieve excellent results³.

Complementarily, Resonant Leadership stands out as necessary for building up confidence and healthy work environments, calling for the leader’s support of the team by means of feedback on performance, incentives and recognition^4-5. The resonant leader invests in other people’s emotions, while fully aware of his own⁶.

Authentic Leadership, on the other hand, is a theory presenting greater transparency regarding the people led, being able to generate the respect and confidence of followers on the basis of behavior in line with the system of personal values and convictions⁷. The authors state that people will be more authentic as a result of greater fidelity in connection with their needs, desires, beliefs and emotions. Authenticity is thus present in the essence of the theory of Authentic Leadership.

Several other contemporary theories or models are being studied, and there is evidence that they foster positive cultures in the workplace. Future research perspectives are based on the use of these models or theories, for instance those mentioned earlier, so that they can overlap the archaic models still adopted by innumerable health entities. It is essential, nevertheless, to overcome the descriptive and diagnostic research in this area, adopting more robust methods enabling real change in practice by means of intervention.

Additionally, there is a need for inclusion of these and other innovative approaches in graduate level and post-graduate study plans, given that training in contemporary leadership and management should be encouraged by Higher Education Institutions and maintained intentionally throughout professional life

Positive aspects related to formation in leadership from graduation stem from the initial theoretical contribution provided by teachers, as well as integrating teaching and assistance, narrowing the gap between academia and health institutions⁸.

From the above, one realizes that there is a lot to be done before revolutionary and transformation-causing models of management and leadership are incorporated into health entities. It is indispensable, however, that efforts be made for the transfer of knowledge to take place, so that the academic community, managers and workers can make use of the research carried out in the area, becoming positive, quality care results for the population

Referências

• ¹
  Moura AA, Bernardes A, Balsanelli AP, Zanetti ACB, Gabriel CS. Leadership and nursing work satisfaction: an integrative review. Acta Paul Enferm. 2017 [cited 2018 Jul 17];30(4):442-50. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-21002017000400442&script=sci_abstract&tlng=pt
  » http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-21002017000400442&script=sci_abstract&tlng=pt
• ²
  Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria-Executiva. Departamento de Apoio à Descentralização. Pactos pela vida e de gestão: regulamento. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2006 [citado 2018 jul 17]. Disponível em: http://conselho.saude.gov.br/webpacto/regulacao.pdf
• ³
  Fischer SA. Transformational leadership in nursing: a concept analysis. J Adv Nurs. 2016 [cited 2018 Jul 17];72(11):2644-53. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jan.13049
  » https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jan.13049
• ⁴
  Cummings GG, Tate K, Lee S, Wong CA, Paananen T, Micaroni SPM, et al. Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Studies. 2018 [cited 2018 Jul 17];85:19-60. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748918301019?via%3Dihub
  » https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748918301019?via%3Dihub
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  Cummings GG, Hewko SJ, Wang M, Wong CA, Laschinger S, Estabrooks CA. Impact of managers' coaching conversations on staff knowledge use and performance in long-term care settings. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2018 [cited 2018 Jul 17];15(1):62-71. Available from: https://sigmapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/wvn.12233
  » https://sigmapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/wvn.12233
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  Andresen J. Creating a positive contagious culture in a workplace today? Is it possible? Int J Nur Care. 2017 [cited 2018 Jul 17];1(7):1-3. Available from: http://cmepub.com/pdfs/creating-a-positive-contagious-culture-in-the-workplace-today-is-it-possible-224.pdf
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• ⁷
  Avolio BJ, Luthans F, Walumbwa F, Wernsing TS, Peterson S. Authentic leadership: development and validation of a theory-based measure. J Manage. 2008 [cited 2018 Jul 16];34(1):89-126. Available from: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=managementfacpub
  » https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=managementfacpub
• ⁸
  Amestoy, SC, Oliveira AFL, Thofehrn MB, Trindade LL, Santos, BPD, Bao, ACP. Contributions of Paulo Freire to understanding the dialogic leadership exercise of nurses in the hospital setting. Rev Gaúcha Enferm. 2017 [cited 2018 Jul 16]; 38(1):e64764. Disponível emAvailable from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-14472017000100405&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
  » http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-14472017000100405&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  03 Sept 2018
• Date of issue
  2018