Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 1

Leadership Scholarly Paper

Leadership and Management Professional Nursing
NUR4827C.002
Alyssa Blumenthal
July 7 2014

Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 2
Purpose and Introduction
According to the power point on leadership and management theory, a leader is described
as anyone who uses interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal.
While a manager is described as an employee who is responsible and accountable for
accomplishing the goals of the organization, the two often go hand in hand (Belote, 2014). This
can be said for the nurse leader whom I followed, Mrs. S, Chief Executive Officer of RN Cancer
Guides. As CEO, Mrs. S responsibilities encompass a large job description, including but not
limited to: meeting the needs of the employees of RN cancer guides, the customers, potential
investors, partners and even the law. Building a business is no easy endeavor and as CEO Mrs. S
is essentially responsible for keeping the business running. I watched Mrs. S utilize many
leadership traits taught in Leadership and Management. As an observer, spending time with Mrs.
S. enabled me to appreciate one of the many leadership and management roles in professional
nursing. Through this experience Mrs. S showed me that great leadership comes from the heart
and it embodies an unfailing passion and devotion to inspiring others to share your dreams.
Content
Mrs. S is both a leader and manager of RN Cancer Guides. As a leader, Mrs. S has and
continues to inspire those around her to share her vision of RN Cancer Guides. As a
manager Mrs. S functions as a delegator of tasks essential to achieving the overall goal.
Additionally as a manager Mrs. S evaluates and monitors the outcomes of each goal. Mrs. S
is a figurehead, she is a spokesperson and she is the decision maker. Successful
implementation is a result of Mrs. S leadership abilities in that she has configured a team
who share her vision and are therefore motivated to carry out the companies mission.
A journal from The Center for Association Leadership writes about eight common
Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 3
leadership styles stating: No style is good or bad. Its how leaders use them that
determines success or failure. The eight leadership styles identified are: charismatic,
innovative, command and control, laissez-Faire, pace setter, servant, situational and lastly,
transformational. Looking back at the leadership style I observed at RN Cancer Guides,
Mrs. S resonates most with innovative leadership. An innovative leader describes a person
who understands a situation and goes beyond the usual course of action. Additionally, an
innovative leader is a person who can see what is not working and bring new ideas into
action (Blanken, 2013). Mrs. S is an innovative leader due to her uncanny ability to see a
process and make it better. In the case of RN Cancer Guides, Mrs. S spent over twenty-four
years working in all different fields of nursing. When she began working in oncology she
took a keen interest in cancer patient advocacy and patient education. Before RN Cancer
Guides, Mrs. S was on multiple committees aimed at improving patient and nursing
processes, she spoke on radio shows about cancer patient advocacy and initiated and
chaired the implementation committee for Moffitt Cancers first patient Navigation
program. Susan immediately recognized that many cancer patients are experiencing the
most turbulent times in their lives, many simply overwhelmed by unfamiliar tests, words
and appointments. In July of 2013 Mrs. S founded RN Cancer Guides which would allow
her to have a greater impact on cancer care for patients and their families by breaking
down the financial, medical and emotional barriers that she had witnessed firsthand
throughout her 24 years. Through her experience, Mrs. S developed a mission: To
Provide compassionate oncology nursing to patients and their families through their
cancer diagnosis (RN Cancer Guides, 2013). Thus began RN Cancer Guides.
RN Cancer Guides requires a collaborative effort on the part of Mrs. S, her
Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 4
employees, their partners and their patients. RN Cancer Guides consists of specialized
oncology nurses, each assigned to a cancer patient with the intent to educate the patient
and the family throughout the cancer treatment process, clarify, create, understand and
manage the treatment plan. RN Cancer Guides are a unique customizable advocacy
program to assist cancer patients in managing their treatment process. Additionally, cancer
guides act as liaisons between the patient, the medical team healthcare providers and the
patients support network. Open communication and collaboration are essential to the
success of RN Cancer Guides mission. RN cancer guides want every patient to be
comfortable, confident and have peace of mind throughout their diagnosis with cancer (RN
Cancer Guides, 2013). Mrs. S demonstrates collaboration by including her team in her
decision process. For example, Mrs. S will consult her COO, Mrs. N before making a
company decision. Mrs. S has a small staff, however, collaboration is critical amongst
employees, patients and health care providers. Interdisciplinary health care teams typically
consist of a nurse, physician, nurse practitioner and social worker, just to name a few. In
order for the team to function effectively there must be communication amongst all
providers. A cancer patient will typically have multiple physicians on the case and if the
patient chooses to do so, the patient can include an RN Cancer Guide as a part of their
health care team. RN Cancer Guides act as a liaison between all providers and the patient
aiming to reduce or completely eliminate the barrier of communication which often
presents itself with an interdisciplinary healthcare team due to lack of communication
amongst team members. Interdisciplinary practice is necessary in patient care but due to
todays fast paced society, multiple providers often forget to inform the patient of their plan
or maybe dont have time to explain it in terms the patient understands, or maybe they
Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 5
assume another provider has already informed the patient. The lack of communication
amongst providers and patients, which is so often seen in interdisciplinary practice, is one
of the main reasons that RN Cancer Guides exist.
Being a professional nurse leader does not necessarily require an entrepreneurial
spirit; anyone can be a nurse leader. Nurse leaders are those who consistently positively
influence culture and environment; they build a culture conducive to excellence (Belote,
2014). Even before beginning RN Cancer Guides, Mrs. S was a Nurse Leader. She carried a
strong sense of identity and commitment to what she believed in. She showed her strong
sense of identity by joining patient advocacy committees, participating in oncology
research and most importantly going above and beyond in the clinical setting by
advocating for her patients when the previous nurse may not have. By going above and
beyond, Mrs. S promoted excellence around her and when excellence is promoted for long
enough it becomes the standard of care.
Conclusion
My experience at RN Cancer Guides with Mrs. S verified to me that a great leader
leads from the heart. While it may seem daunting for some to follow their dreams off the
beaten path, it is those who have the courage to take the less beaten path that makes all the
difference. As a new graduate nurse entering the profession I will start my career as a
nurse leader by coming to work wearing my smile, keeping a positive outlook and being as
contagious as possible to promote a positive culture for my patients and my team
members. The quote by Zig Ziglar remains true, It is your attitude, not your aptitude that
will determine your altitude.

Running head: LEADERSHIP SCHOLARLY PAPER 6
References
Belote, M. (2014) Leadership Management Theory [PowerPoint Slides].
Retrieved from Lecture PowerPoints Online Web site:
https://usflearn.instructure.com/courses/980480/files#NUR4827C.002U14

Blanken, R. (2013) The Center for Association Leadership: 8 Common Leadership Styles
[Online Journal]. Retrieved from:
http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/ANowDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=241962

RN Cancer Guides (2013) Our Mission [Web Page].
Retrieved from: http://rncancerguides.com/our-mission/