Nursing leadership within the NHS: an evolutionary perspective

Effective leadership is crucial to the delivery of quality NHS care, particularly in the current economic climate. These are unprecedented times for the NHS; at no other time in its life has the need for leadership been greater. It is hard to define nursing leadership, with roles becoming increasingly complex. Although there has been much invested in leadership training, NHS guidance has suggested the service has only just begun to understand the importance of leadership. There is unparalleled change in the NHS; nurses are being asked to be innovators and entrepreneurs. In this article, the author considers what leadership is, and stresses the need for it to continue evolving to meet the changing demands of the NHS.