An Examination of Transformational Leadership among Graduating Baccalaureate Nursing Students and Practicing Nurses

Leadership skills are essential among nurses to address the challenges faced by the nursing profession. This quantitative comparative study examined five components of transformational leadership skills as outlined by Kouzes and Posner among graduating baccalaureate nursing students and practicing nurses [1]. Five leadership components were used to examine if differences existed among the groups studied. The results indicated significant differences for modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. The study revealed that nursing students graduating from generic and accelerated programs have inferior leadership skills compared to nurses in clinical practice. The results may be useful in leadership training of nursing students through collaborative practices between practice settings and nursing schools to improve patient safety.