Evidence and Leadership

Abstract

The call for evidence has swept the healthcare landscape in medicine and nursing and more recently in nursing management. Nurse managers and administrators have been identified as important to support research use and evidence-based practice. The primary focus of this article is (1) to describe the concept of evidence, (2) to challenge the wisdom of basing the practice of leadership on a narrow (reductionistic) understanding of the concept of evidence, and (3) to argue for a rethinking on what should count as evidence in nursing administration. Semantic analysis and examination of dictionaries reveal that evidence as a concept has both an internal and an external dimension. To understand the concept of evidence in a profound sense as well as its significance for leadership this article describes 3 different meanings of the concept: ontological, contextual, and King's evidence.

Nursing leadership from the perspective of clinical group supervision: a paradoxical practice

“…Relationships between nurse leaders and nurses seem to evolve around trust as a significant feature in the culture. The findings of the present study are in line with Bondas (2003, 2006, 2009) and Råholm (2009) who suggest that nurse leaders who see beyond technology and economy are capable of entering into a caring relationship with their staff and confirm the dignity of the unique staff members and the unique patient. What is the explanation to the world of communion that seem to be present according to the supervisors and the world of manipulation, fear, inapproachability as it is brought to the CS by the supervisees.…”

“…The patient’s vulnerability, the patient’s life world, the alleviation of suffering and promotion of health and the health of the staff are not found in the language that is spoken in management and leadership of health care. It is necessary to ask if it is possible to talk about an evidence‐based care without the values of humanity, dignity and consideration (Bondas 2003, Råholm 2009).…”

Evidence-based nursing management: Challenges and facilitators

“…Therefore, a restricted understanding of the concept of evidence reduces the level of utilization of research results in nursing management [28] . In nursing management, managerial decisions cover every decision concerning improvement of the working conditions of nurses and the health care results.…”

Leadership in Nursing: Analysis of the Process of Choosing The Heads

“…It is considered that, in a way, the (re)production of teams' imaginary on such a relevant issue affects the nurses' profile and respective preparation to occupy strategic formal functions in the hospital structure. In some contexts (4)(5) , the preparation of nursing staff has even been discussed, in response to the planning of nurses' succession in administrative functions, with visibility and influence in the upward, downward and horizontal flows of organizational life.…”

“…It is considered that, in a way, the (re)production of teams' imaginary on such a relevant issue affects the nurses' profile and respective preparation to occupy strategic formal functions in the hospital structure. In some contexts (4)(5) , the preparation of nursing staff has even been discussed, in response to the planning of nurses' succession in administrative functions, with visibility and influence in the upward, downward and horizontal flows of organizational life.In these processes, the double representation role of nurses in head/management functions also needs to be taken into account: on the one hand, they deal with the needs and expectations of the work group they coordinate: on the other, they are faced with needs and expectations demanded by the institution itself, in favor of organizational objectives. In this sense, the challenge of managing health service units entails repercussions among these frontline workers who, amidst daily challenges, start to confront the leadership nurses exercise (6) .…”