Task details

This assessment task asks you to consider the impacts of leadership and management styles on the nursing/midwifery workforce and workplaces. The benefits of relationally focused leadership in the nursing midwifery workforce are considered.

Instructions

Title: Using relationally focused leadership to improve team and workplace outcomes

Details of task:

The aim of this assessment task is to consider the impacts of leadership and management styles on the nursing/midwifery workforce and workplaces.

Background and Preliminary information

Nursing and midwifery research reveals that relationally focussed leadership (such as transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and effective leader-member exchange) can result in positive outcome patterns for the nursing/midwifery workforce and professional work environments (Cummings et al., 2018).

Useful nursing authors in this topic area include: Greta Cummings, Heather Spence Laschinger, Carol Wong. For the midwives, Downe et al. (2010) book Essential midwifery practice: Expertise leadership and collaborative working has an excellent first section on leadership and transformative leadership in midwifery.

Your recommended textbooks (Carlopio & Andrewartha, 2011; Huber & Joseph, 2022; Whetton & Cameron, 2023) and other management and leadership texts also identify the importance of using leadership and management skills to build effective teams, communicate effectively and supportively, and to empower work colleagues. These topics have also been reported in contemporary nursing and midwifery articles.

In preparation for this assessment you will consider and reflect on the importance of these principles and practices to nursing and midwifery leadership and management and undertake background reading in these topics areas.

References:

Carlopio, J. & Andrewartha, G. (2012). Developing management skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders (5th Ed). Pearson Australia.

Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S., & 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, 1960.

Downe, S; Byrom, S; & Simpson, L. (2010). Essential midwifery practice: Expertise leadership and collaborative working. Wiley

Huber, D. L. & Joseph, M. L. (2022). Leadership and nursing care management. Elsevier.

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2023). Developing leadership skills (Global Edition) (9th Ed.). Pearson

Assessment task:

Write an academic essay (4400 words) in which you consider the features of relationally focused leadership and consider how these leadership and management skills could be used to positively impact and improve team and workplace outcomes. The essay will consist of two parts:

Part 1: A discussion of relationally focussed leadership (approximately 2100 words).

Your discussion can focus on relationally focussed leadership generally OR you can choose to focus on one of the following theories/models: transformational leadership OR authentic leadership OR leader-member exchange.

Your discussion should provide an overview of the leadership style/model and identification of key features and attributes of this type of leadership.

The sources used for this part of the essay should include a mix of general leadership/management sources and contemporary nursing/midwifery sources.

Part 2: Consideration and discussion of leadership and management skills and activities that can positively impact and improve team and workplace outcomes (approximately 2100 words).

Your discussion should be related to application of the skills associated with the leadership style/model or framework that you discussed in Part 1.

Your discussion should identify practical ways in which these leadership and management skills can be used to build effective teams, communicate effectively and supportively, and to empower work colleagues.

Include some consideration about how improved teams, effective communication and empowerment could make a difference to professional workplaces.

The sources used for this part of the essay can include a mix of general leadership/management sources and contemporary nursing/midwifery sources.

Be sure to write and introduction and conclusion to your work, use headings and sub-headings throughout the essay, and include references at the end of the essay. APA7 should be used as a format for intext citations and the reference list.

Criteria for Marking Assessment Task 2

Introduction (5 marks)

Part 1 Discussion: Relationally focussed leadership (40 marks)

Part 2 Discussion: Professional impacts and outcomes from relationally focussed leadership (40 marks)

Conclusion (5 marks)

Written expression, presentation and referencing (10 marks)