How To Show Leadership As A Student Nurse

Lillie talks about her ideas on leadership in the role of a student nurse, shares her own experiences and suggests the personal qualities you would need to develop.

Hello, my name is Lillie and I’m a second-year student nurse from Newcastle. And today, I am going to be talking to you about how to demonstrate leadership as a student nurse.

A Definition Of Leadership

Leadership can be described as the ability of an individual or a group to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization.

Although there are different styles of leadership, some arguably better than others, you can display qualities of leadership as a student nurse.

It isn’t about delegating or bossing people around. It’s mainly being a role model for others and working well as a team.

Using The NMC Code

NMC code highlights the importance of leadership when practicing as a nurse.

It states “You should be a model of integrity and leadership for others to aspire to. This should lead to trust and confidence in the professions from patients, people receiving care, other health and care professionals and the public.”

It also states the reason for leadership in nursing, it says “Nurses should provide leadership to make sure people’s wellbeing is protected and to improve their experiences of the health and care system.”

All employees can be leaders, from CEOs, to line managers, from experienced nurses and health care assistants to student nurses.

However, it is important to bear in mind, you always should work within your own level of competence as a student nurse. But there are a number of ways you can show leadership as a student on placement.

Ways You Can Show Leadership

Show a genuine interest on the ward you are allocated

In reality you’re never going to find every ward you have a placement interesting - trust me I’ve been there. But there’s always something interesting to learn which you can take onto your next placement.

You can show an interest by asking appropriate questions. Whether it’s about a medication you’ve never heard of or an abbreviation you haven’t seen before - ask your mentor about it. By doing this you show a willingness to learn.

I always carry a little notepad around with me so I can write down terms I haven’t come across before, sometimes I research them later or ask a mentor.

Try and show your initiative

This sometimes can be difficult if you’re in the first year or don’t know the ward very well but doing things without being asked can go a long way. Whether it’s taking a patient’s blood pressure or offering to do something for your mentor. If you’re unsure whether something needs doing, ask a nurse or team member if there’s anything outstanding you can help them with. This attitude shows your mentor that there is a willingness to work on your own therefore, showing leadership.

Going out of your way to support other students and staff

If one of your colleges is having a bad day, ask them how they are feeling. Offer support and listen to what they have to say if they just want to rant. By building meaningful relationships with colleagues it shows genuine compassion and ability to empathise with other people and an ability to integrate yourself into a team.

Be a role model to other students

If you’re lucky enough to share a placement with other student nurses this is a brilliant opportunity to teach and learn from others. By taking part in teaching and guiding other students it demonstrates a sense of maturity and also that you can work in line with the NMC code.

Knowing when to say no or you don’t understand

Sometimes as students, you may be asked to do something you don’t feel confident in or it's inappropriate for you to do. By saying 'no' you don’t feel comfortable, it displays a sense of professionalism and maturity. Also, admitting that you don’t quite understand something is really hard. Acknowledging this weakness and asking for help from a fellow nurse or mentor shows that you genuinely care, and you want to learn.

Reporting a problem or possible service improvement

This can be a hard one to do right. You don’t want to be overly critical of a ward you’ve just set foot in. This is disrespectful to those who have worked hard for a long-time day in and out on this ward. But it is important to report things or situations that are unsafe. For example, a safeguarding issue or whether a patient is in danger, such as if they should be monitored to prevent falls. Once you’ve built up a good relationship with your colleagues and mentor, sometimes the views of a fresh pair of eyes are welcomed. This can help the ward improve its services.

Giving thoughtful feedback

If you’ve seen someone give really good person-centred care or they managed well under a stressful situation, it’s great if you get the opportunity to say that they did a great job. I don’t think this happens enough. We often focus too heavily on negative feedback, where positive feedback can really make someone’s day. By providing this positive feedback, it demonstrates what your standards are and a genuine want to give great care.

Have clear goals

You’ll find that you’ll have a lot of proficiencies to achieve throughout your placement, so you’ll have to be organised. And you may only get a few opportunities in certain specialities to show that you’re competent. By having clear goals, it shows that you’re driven and taking charge of your learning. For example, during your critical care placement, this may be the only opportunity you have to learn about airway management.  Be aware of opportunities available in your speciality and make sure you communicate this with your mentor. By being aware it proves that you are keen to learn and be a competent nurse and demonstrates leadership.

Work within your Trust’s values

These values will differ trust to trust, but some examples may include respect, accountability, patient first, compassion and pride. Get to know your trust’s values and implement these into the work you do. It’s really important that day-to-day you work within these values. By doing so, you promote professionalism and therefore become a role model for other members of staff, therefore showing leadership.

Empower patients to take control of their own health

If a patient is able, we should encourage them to take control of their health.

You can help empower patients to do this by educating them on their condition or healthily choices they can make, ensuring that you answer any questions they may have.

You may also help empower patients by showing them support. For example, if a patient is trying to give up smoking, even if they have reduced it by 1 cigarette per day, they need to be supported and positively reinforced, it’s hard to give up smoking and we’re there to support patients, not to judge.

Empowering people with the confidence and information to look after themselves when they can, and access services when needed gives people greater control of their own health and encourages healthy behaviours that help prevent ill health in the long-term.

All employees can be leaders, from CEOs, to line managers, from experienced nurses and health care assistants to student nurses.

Where I Showed Leadership Skills

Next, I’m just going to share with you a moment where I feel I demonstrated leadership on my placement.

On my last placement, I had the opportunity to work with a first-year student nurse. It was her first shift, so I gave her a quick tour of the ward and started carrying out personal care with her. It was her first shift so undoubtedly, she would’ve been nervous and overwhelmed, I know I was on my first day!

I took the time to explain why we did things and answered any questions she had. We worked together for most of the day and I found that by sharing my experiences with her and guiding her through things she hadn’t done before, her confidence developed throughout the day.

It was really nice to be able to work with a fellow student and support them on their journey. It also demonstrated to my mentor that I could be a positive role model to other members of the team.

So to conclude, it sometimes may feel hard to demonstrate leadership qualities as a student nurse, but there are a number of ways you can do to prove these skills.

Personal Qualities Of A Good Leader

Some people may think that showing leadership means to be loud and bossy, but in fact it can be more subtle than this to show strength.

To display leadership skills in practise, having a good understanding of your trust’s values is a good place to start. By treating both patients and staff with respect and dignity you can show leadership and grow relationships.

It’s also really important to be self-aware, to know your own limitations and your strengths. This way you’ll be able to work well as part of a team and mange stressful situations. Hopefully, becoming a role model and leader for other staff members.

Another important area of self-awareness is being able to recognise when you are burnt out or having a hard time. By being in tune with your own feelings, you will know when to ask for help, and this will enable you to help others.

I hope you enjoyed my video on leadership, thanks for watching!