Every nurse is a leader

Some nurses have the goal to lead others and to be in charge of patient groups and groups of staff. They want to make changes at the upper levels of the organization and see their actions affect large numbers of people. Many others, however, really desire to be a bed-side nurse giving excellent patient care. They want to enjoy the close relationship that can make an individual feel better about him or her self as a person and the satisfaction that they have made a difference in one person's life. However, whether the nurse leads through a management position or practices leadership techniques in bedside nursing, all nurses are leaders and need to demonstrate expertise in the use of leadership techniques.