Transformational Leadership In The Emergency Room

The Emergency Department (ED) is a stressful, fast-paced environment with an unpredictable nature. There can be a high incidence of lateral violence among nurses as well as patient-to-nurse abuse. Emergency departments also have unpredictable numbers and acuity of patients, long work hours, and overcrowding. These conditions can contribute to a high rate of staff burnout and turnover. In spite of these challenges the nurses that choose to work in the emergency room typically work best under pressure, are highly competent, and have strong, assertive personalities that work best with a leadership structure that capitalizes on these strengths. Ideal emergency room teams have a strong sense of comradery which works well in stressful situations in order to come together for the greater good. The ED is highly regulated area of the hospital that generally requires intervention from nurse leaders to ensure patient and nurse satisfaction. Transformational leadership is the ideal leadership structure for the emergency room environment. It encourages staff nurses in the ED to be engaged in leadership and has

Nurse leaders motivate bedside nurses by appealing to their intellect and values. The use of transformational leadership in nursing yields nurse leaders of all levels who strive to create effective solutions to key problems. This type of leadership encourages staff to take risks and extend the boundaries of thinking in order to find innovative solutions to problems and promote teamwork and shared responsibility (Doody, 2012). The use of transformational leadership enhances a mission-focused culture within the ED (Choi, Goh, Adam, & Tan, 2016). Transformational leadership is characterized by four key traits, which are idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Doody,