Running Head: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: ROLE TRANSITION ASSIGNMENT

Leadership and Management: Role Transition Assignment
Katrina LaBadie
Keiser Career College
PRN 0306C
March 20, 2012
Professor Englmann

Leadership and Management: Role Transition Assignment
Management and leadership can be defined as the same role but yet still have their differences on how they can be executed. In nursing, leadership and management is a crucial function to establish so the standards of care are met and the patients’ quality of treatment remains top priority. However, some people have seen firsthand that being in a management position does not always portray a leadership persona, and visa versa. In this paper, the role of management and leadership will be explained, the difference between each style, and the principles of developing a strong team while in a healthcare setting. The myth about License Practical Nurses (LPN) only being able to obtain employment in Long Term Care facilities has been a black smear on this certain nursing title for years, but fortunately this statement is all but true. “LPN’s may acquire different positions in, dialysis clinics, physician’s office, health departments, hospitals, mental health, and long-term acute care facilities with the required certifications” (Florida Health Careers, 2009). For example: to obtain a position in dialysis one must complete an accredited course for intravenous therapy and medications. These extra courses are available for LPN’s after completion of an accredited nursing program followed by passing the state board for your nursing license. “The guidelines for obtaining an LPN license, along with any other nursing licensure can be explained in the Nurse Practice Act: Section 464.008 Licensure by Examination. Even though expanded roles for LPN’s are available, continuation of education will be required if one desires a position in management” (Florida Board of Nursing, 2007). Like stated before, leadership and management can go hand in hand but also be defined as different roles from one another. Leadership by definition is a person who guides or directs a group, while Management is defined as the person or persons controlling and directing the affairs of a business, institution, etc. Though these definitions seem similar they are quite different. Under certain circumstances a leader is not a manager, for example a newly graduated nurse that is hired at a facility may be assigned to another nurse that has experience working there but not the nurse manager, hence the experienced nurse is the newly graduated nurse’s leader. A leader is responsible for showing new employees “the ropes” and provides educational answers to their questions without having to approach management that more and likely do not want to be bothered. For some managers, they feel that they have the right to be called a leader, wrong. A manager can be a leader and probably has been sometime in their career, but to be a leader one must be actively involved with employees and the people working under them. Not barricaded in their office and only becomes involved when disciplinary actions or investigations are in action. The main contrast between these two styles is leadership guides a person or a group of people and management oversees the leaders to make sure the job gets done and done properly. If you are having trouble imagining this, just think of military structure. Soldiers have a squad leader, squad leader is overseen by the platoon sergeant, and the platoon sergeants are over seen by the First Sergeant. Becoming an effective leader involves being competent in knowledge and skills needed for communication, problem solving, managing stress, and building strong teams. First skill one needs to be an effective first-line leader is motivating team members to accomplish goals. This can be establish through comradery, establishing team goals, and incentives for