Within a clinic or unit, leadership sets the tone and example for nursing staff and other staff members.  If an establishment does not have professional leadership, morale can drop, dysfunction and frustration may exist within the team, and teamwork and staff satisfaction can decline.  This article looks at how those in nursing leadership positions can incorporate how God calls us to lead and how to take that understanding and practice professionalism.  Professionalism includes but is not limited to, an individual’s actions, speech, and communication.

I have not been a nurse for very long, but I have been in nursing long enough to realize a significant impact on a team, unit, or clinic created by the type of leadership in place.  I am currently in a Leadership and Administration Master’s Program and have been exposed to many different types of leadership styles over the past few years.  I have come beside incredible mentors in the nursing profession who have shown me how true leaders are to act, speak, and lead professionally.  I have also, unfortunately, seen how a leader should not behave and talk and how negative leadership within a facility can decrease morale, create frustration among staff, and lead to a negative experience within the nursing profession.  My life experiences within the past few years have developed a passion within me to be a leader who stands out, a leader who wants to positively impact the profession of nursing, and a leader who desires to create an environment where a team can succeed and thrive!  I feel I have been called by God to be a leader within the nursing profession, and God says in 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT), “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

My past experiences, sometimes negative and sometimes positive, inspired me to dive in and research how leaders and professionals should conduct themselves.  God is the one leader in my life who never fails me.  He is the ultimate leader and is the ultimate example of a leader.  Proverb 11:14 (MSG) states, “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.” So, how does God call us to act and behave as a leader?

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) is a perfect example of how God expects us to act as leaders.  “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”   God literally tells us to give our lives, the ordinary, and our jobs to Him!  He says to not become so immersed within the culture of those around us that we just “fit in,” He wants us to stand out, to recognize what He wants for our lives. I believe he will develop maturity within us, creating an outstanding leader.

Proverbs 16:18 simply explains how when you are prideful, it leads to destruction, “First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”  Being humble within leadership but also confident will lead to success within leadership.  Remembering where you came from and where you started will often help you to remain humble.  Everyone has once been in a position where feeling vulnerable or insecure; having empathy for those feeling that way and showing compassion for those individuals is a wonderful leadership quality.

I have been in situations where harmful or inappropriate speech has created negativity and low morale.  Ephesians 4:29 reminds us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  God is telling us that we are to only speak if it will build others up or help others.  This can be hard within leadership because sometimes a leader must settle the conflict or discuss difficult situations with staff. Still, it is at that time when professional conversations and constructive criticism can come into play.

The ultimate example in the Bible, where professionalism and appropriate behavior were displayed, is Jesus’s life.  Jesus was born to a humble family, but He knew He had a purpose in His life, to change the world.  He grew up learning all He could about the culture He lived in.  He always showed kindness to each person He came in contact with.  Jesus always spoke the truth when addressing those He talked with, but did it kindly and compassionately.  Jesus helped all He could, even those He called the least of these.  Jesus’ ultimate example was His journey to the cross.  Jesus knew He would be crucified when He knew the time was upon Him; He decided to pray on the Mount of Olives the night before.  He prayed for God to give Him strength to do the right thing; he also had his friends, the disciples, praying for Him. The time came on the Mount of Olives when the Roman soldiers arrested Jesus. The disciples defended Jesus and acted violently, but Jesus stood His ground and commanded the violence to cease. He even healed a man coming to arrest Him, showing compassion to His enemies.  After this event, Jesus stood trial before Pilot, the Roman governor.  During his arrest and questioning, He maintained a calm and professional attitude and stood for what He knew was the truth, but he did not become angry or defensive.  Even Pilot stated that Jesus was not a criminal, but the council demanded Jesus be crucified, and the city’s people shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”.  Even after they led Jesus to the place called The Skull, nailed Him to a cross, and mocked and spat at Him, Jesus cried out, “Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”  Jesus knew that even though this ultimate act of sacrifice, giving His life for the world, was excruciating; He knew it was worth it to make a difference in the world.  He knew that glory and hope were on the other side!

What a fantastic example of how we are to live!   1 John 2:6 (NLT) says,  “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”  So much can be learned from how Jesus composed Himself and handled difficult situations.

Lastly, it is essential to always remember that even if you are not in a position where you have a leadership title, such as nurse manager or clinical coordinator, every nurse is a leader.  Every nurse has someone looking to them as a mentor or a patient who is looking to them to be a leader in their care and advocate for them, which means they need a professional nurse who will conduct himself or herself in a manner that reflects Christ.  Always remember Matthew 25: 35-40, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these. brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”