Kaelii's Nursing Leadership Theory
Nursing Leadership Theory
Kaelii Cunningham
Delaware Technical Community College
Nurse Leadership NUR400-502
Faith Hughto, MSN,RN
November 28, 2025
All About Me
Introduction
Throughout my time in nursing, I have realized that leadership is usually quiet. It shows up in the small ways we carry each other through uncertainty and in the tone we use when a situation feels tense or unfamiliar. Those everyday moments when someone steps in, listens, explains, or steadies the room are what made me curious about leadership theories and how they influence how we care for patients and for each other.
When I started reading about different leadership styles, transformational leadership stood out as familiar. It reminded me of the nurses who made a real difference in how I learned. They were the ones who checked in on me when things were stressful and helped me feel more capable on days when the workload felt heavy. Research points to this style as supporting the team and the patients they care for, and it makes sense to me because people do better when they feel supported rather than judged (Ystaas et al., 2023).
I have seen small shifts in the entire atmosphere of a unit when a leader speaks to people with respect. When someone treats you like a person instead of another task to manage, communication feels easier. It is more beneficial to encourage questions rather than hide confusion. The American Nurses Association defines transformational leadership as guiding others in ways that encourage growth, which feels close to the type of nurse I try to be and the kind of teammate I appreciate working with (American Nurses Association, 2023).
What draws me to this style is how simple it feels in practice. It is mainly being present with people, slowing down long enough to really listen, and trying to steady a situation instead of adding pressure. Those are the moments that helped me most in my own experience. I want to keep building on those experiences so that I can support others in the same capacity.
Understanding Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is easier to understand when you think about behavior instead of theory. It is leaders who listen before they respond. Leaders who encourage people to think. Leaders who explain the “why” instead of just the “do this.” Leaders who pay attention to how the team is doing emotionally, not only clinically.
Nursing needs this because the work is heavy. We carry things emotionally that most people never see. When a leader is calm, or kind, or patient during a stressful moment, it affects everyone else in the room. Transformational leadership recognizes that people do not respond well to pressure and fear. They respond to clarity and trust.
The Role of a Nurse Leader Using This Style
A nurse leader using transformational leadership is more like a steady presence than a commander. Their influence is evident in how people feel around them. They communicate clearly, which reduces confusion. They help people find confidence when doubt starts creeping in. They do not act like they are above anyone.
I think about the time during the pandemic when I helped a vast number of nurses move from paper documentation to an electronic system. So many of them were nervous about the change. I sat next to them, walked through the screens, and just tried to make the process feel doable. That experience taught me that leadership is not about knowing everything. It is about helping other nurses feel like they can handle something new. That aligns a lot with transformational leadership.
In home health, nurses do not have the luxury of grabbing another nurse from down the hall. They often depend on whoever is leading them that day. A transformational leader helps them feel like they are not alone in the work, even if they are physically alone in a patient’s home.
My Plan to Grow as a Transformational Leader
Growing into this style starts with paying attention to how I move through my day. When things get busy, I notice myself speeding up, and that is usually when communication starts to slip. I want to get better at catching that moment and slowing myself down before I respond. Even taking a breath changes the tone of the whole interaction. I also want to get more comfortable reading what people need from me. Some nurses want a quick answer so they can keep moving, while others need someone to sit with them for a minute and talk things through. I am still learning how to sense that difference. Research supports the idea that paying attention to individual needs strengthens how a team works, and that has been true in my own experience as well (Collins et al., 2020).
I also want to keep learning and growing to become a better asset to my team and patients. Classes and training help, but much of my growth comes from watching how patients and families respond to what I say and adjusting my approach based on what I notice. Feedback is another area I want to improve in. I want to be able to correct or guide someone without making them feel embarrassed or discouraged.
Transformational leadership emphasizes supporting people as they learn, and I want to practice this more intentionally because it helps people feel safe rather than judged (Ystaas et al., 2023). I know how I communicate during stressful moments carries weight, so I want to stay aware of that and adjust my tone accordingly.
My plan is not complicated. I want to be mindful of my tone and the way I speak to people, especially on the harder days when patience is thinner. I want to stay honest with myself about my own emotions, because how I show up affects the room around me. I also want to keep building trust by being consistent. If I say I will help, I want to follow through, even with the small things. That is how people learn to rely on and trust you to be there for them.
Another goal is to keep speaking up when something feels off. Transformational leadership is not about staying silent to avoid conflict. It is about raising issues in a way that fosters understanding rather than tension. I want to be someone who can do that calmly and clearly, for patients and for the people I work with.
Becoming More Effective as a Leader
When I think about the leaders who made an impact on me, it was never anything complicated. They simply showed up. They checked on people without making a big deal out of it. They slowed down enough to explain things and made sure I knew what I was doing before they walked away. None of it was fancy, but it mattered. Those small things changed how the whole day felt.
In my own experience, people work better when they feel supported, not pushed. I have seen nurses open up more, relax their shoulders a little, and ask the questions they were afraid to ask when they knew the person guiding them actually cared. That lines up with what others have found as well. Teams usually respond better when leadership comes from steady encouragement rather than pressure (GEBREHEAT et al., 2023). When someone believes you can handle something, you start to believe it too.
I want to offer that same sense of steadiness. I think about newer nurses a lot, mostly because I remember what it felt like trying to look calm while my mind was going a mile a minute. It takes time to settle into this work. Having someone stand next to you and talk things through makes all the difference. That is the kind of leader I want to grow into—someone who helps people breathe easier in the middle of everything.
Lifelong Learning and Patient Advocacy
One thing transformational leadership keeps bringing me back to is that learning in nursing never really stops. It does not end with a class or a new role, and it definitely does not end with experience. Most of what I learn comes from real moments during the day, for example, noticing how a patient reacts when I explain something, or how a family’s tone changes when they feel heard. Those small moments teach me more than anything I find in a textbook.
Advocacy fits into that, too. Sometimes it is speaking up when something does not feel right. Other times, it is slowing down long enough to explain a situation in a way a patient or family can actually take in. There are also days when advocacy looks like noticing how overwhelmed someone is and breaking the information into something they can handle. It is not always big or dramatic. A lot of the time, it is just being present, listening, and making sure people understand what is happening to them.
Transforming Bedside Nursing
Bedside nursing has evolved over the years as the healthcare system has changed. Work is heavier, and people seem more tired. It is easy to see how constant changes and high acuity have been wearing on nurses. What I keep coming back to is how much of a difference it makes when someone feels supported. It changes the whole feel of a shift. When a leader takes the time to talk things through or check in, people open up more, and the day feels less overwhelming. Research shows that this kind of support helps nurses trust their own decisions, which aligns with what I have seen in practice (GEBREHEAT et al., 2023).
I want to bring that same steadiness into bedside situations. Sometimes that means sitting with a nurse for a moment to figure out what they are worried about. Other times, it is slowing down long enough to help make sense of a complicated situation. It can also be explaining things to patients or families in a way that makes the room feel calmer. When people see this kind of approach, they usually start doing the same. Little by little, it helps the team feel more connected to the work and to each other. It also helps restore some of the meaning that gets lost when the pace is fast, and everyone is stretched thin.
Many nurses feel overwhelmed right now. Many feel disconnected or burned out. Transformational leadership has the potential to make bedside nursing feel more meaningful again by emphasizing connection. When nurses feel heard and valued, the entire environment improves.
It also helps reduce the fear that many nurses feel when raising concerns. A transformational leader creates a space where people can talk honestly about mistakes, confusion, or unsafe situations. That helps prevent errors and improves morale.
Leaders who use a transformational style tend to notice these differences. They talk with people in a way that feels steady and respectful. They slow down enough to check that the message is understood. They take the time to listen before jumping in with an answer. I have seen how this changes the tone of a shift. It also aligns with research showing that this style improves communication among nurses and across healthcare disciplines (Collins et al., 2020).
It becomes even more important during moments when information can easily be lost. Handoffs during reports, hallway conversations, phone calls with providers, and updates to families can go sideways if communication is rushed or unclear. Even electronic messaging adds another layer because tone is removed. A simple reminder can look like frustration. A question can be misread as criticism. I have watched misunderstandings happen simply because someone misread a message in a moment of stress.
Transformational leadership helps soften these challenges. When people feel respected, they ask questions instead of pretending to understand. When expectations are clear, departments work together without the usual tension. When nurses feel comfortable asking for clarification, mistakes are caught earlier. Good communication does more than exchange information. It builds trust. It steadies the environment. It permits people to slow down for a moment to make sure they are on the same page. When that happens, care becomes safer, and the team works in a more grounded and connected way.
Communication, Collaboration, and Teamwork
Communication is one of the strongest parts of transformational leadership, but it is also one of the hardest things to get right in nursing. Even on a calm day, people communicate in different ways. Some nurses want short, direct instructions, while others need time to process information before responding. A message that feels clear to one person can feel rushed or confusing to someone else. This is why communication in healthcare is not only about what is said but also about how the other person interprets it.
Structure, Process, and Outcomes
Transformational leadership helps connect what nurses do every day with bigger organizational goals. When people understand why something matters, they are more invested in doing it well. This is important for safety, quality measures, and accreditation. When I think about quality in nursing, I do not think about frameworks or models. I think about the everyday things I see on a shift. Most of the time, what goes well or goes wrong comes down to communication and how comfortable people feel speaking up. When a leader is easy to talk to, people mention issues sooner. Supplies that are missing get replaced. A problem with a device or a process gets brought up before it snowballs. It is not complicated, but it makes a big difference in how the day feels.
The way we do the work changes, too. When someone explains something in a way that makes sense, people tend to stick with it, even when the shift gets busy. I have noticed that when nurses feel supported, they move with more intention. They check on each other more. They take a moment to make sure a step is done right instead of rushing through because they are afraid to ask a question. It is subtle, but the patients feel it. The room feels calmer. Things are missed less often. That aligns with research showing that teams with steady, supportive leaders communicate more effectively and better care for their patients (Ystaas et al., 2023).
All of it is connected. If the environment feels safe, the work is smoother and handled with more confidence. This can directly impact patient outcomes and create a less stressful environment. Transformational leadership fits into that without effort because it focuses on how people feel while they are doing the work. When people feel steady, the care is steady too.
It also creates a culture in which nurses feel comfortable raising workflow issues or safety concerns. Leaders who listen without judgment help improve outcomes by addressing problems earlier.
Looking ahead, I want to keep growing in this leadership style. I want to be someone people feel comfortable coming to with questions or concerns. I want to help newer nurses develop confidence. I want to keep advocating for more transparent communication, especially during transitions of care where things often get lost.
I think a lot about the nurses who are just starting, mostly because I remember what it felt like to be new and trying to look calm while my mind was racing. It takes time to feel steady in this work. You cannot rush that part, and you cannot fake it either. When I picture the kind of leader I want to be, I see myself slowing down for them the way others slowed down for me. Sometimes it is just sitting beside someone and letting them talk through what they are seeing without jumping in too fast. Other times, it is noticing the look on their face and asking if they want someone to walk through the situation with them. Those small moments matter. They shape how safe someone feels in their role.
I want to be more intentional about being present in every moment. I want to pay attention to the nurses who hesitate before asking a question or who stay quiet because they do not want to bother anyone. I know that feeling well. A steady leader makes it easier to speak up, and I want to be that for someone else. Research supports this idea, showing that teams communicate better and work more smoothly when leaders maintain a calm, reliable presence, something I have witnessed many times in practice (Collins et al., 2020).
Communication between teams is another place where I want to grow. Things get lost so easily during handoffs. A missed sentence. A detail that was said too quickly. A concern that goes unnoticed because everyone is trying to move on to the next thing. I want to learn how to keep the conversation clearer and more grounded, so fewer things slip through the cracks. It does not have to be some big formal process. Sometimes it is as simple as asking, “Is there anything else you want to mention before I go?” or repeating back the most essential parts so the other person can hear it again and correct anything if needed.
All of this connects back to why I am drawn to transformational leadership in the first place. It is not about being in charge. It is about being present in a way that steadies the people around you. I want to carry that with me as I grow, because it is the kind of leadership that makes me feel like I belong in this field. I hope I can offer that same feeling to the nurses who are finding their footing now.
My Goals as a Future Nurse Leader
References
American Nurses Association. (2023, September 6). What is transformational leadership in nursing? American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-leadership/transformational-leadership-in-nursing/
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2020). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 35(5), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2019.e11408
Deng, C., Gulseren, D., Isola, C., Grocutt, K., & Turner, N. (2022). Transformational Leadership effectiveness: an evidence-based Primer. Human Resource Development International, 26(5), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2135938
GEBREHEAT, G., TEAME, H., & COSTA, E. (2023). The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Nurses’ Job satisfaction: an Integrative Review. SAGE Open Nursing, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231197428
Ystaas, L. M. K., Nikitara, M., Ghobrial, S., Latzourakis, E., Polychronis, G., & Constantinou, C. S. (2023). The impact of transformational leadership in the nursing work environment and patients’ outcomes: A systematic review. Nursing Reports, 13(3), 1271–1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13030108
