"Running head: A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 1A Literature Review on Transformational Leadership in NursingNameUniversity A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 2A Literature Review on Transformational Leadership in NursingTransformational Leadership has been decisive and accepted leadership style. As permany experts, considering nursing domain, transformational leadership can be functional toimprove health care settings and employee performance. Basically, transformational leadershipstyle zooms in on motivation factor that encapsulates the areas, such as emotional engagement,contingent reward, innovation, intellectual stimulation, personal consideration and sense ofpurpose among leaders and employees and so on (Bass and Avolio, 1994).This in turn helps inexceeding performance expectations and thereby, transforming the overall organization. In fact,as stated by a few national surveys, transformational leadership style is highly sought (approx.66% in the US) and practiced in the nursing domain due to involved features, such as sharedvision, mobilization of resources, team work, self-efficacy, high credibility, emotionalintelligence, skills development and so on (Davis, 2014). So, for the chief nursing officers, it isimperative to practice the transformational leadership style.Hence, this literature reviews and discusses the transformational leadership style so that itcan help the chief nursing officer understand what it takes to be a transformational nursingleader.Literature ReviewChief nursing officers working in the major hospitals have many responsibilities, such ascreating and disseminating collaborative and positive work environment, developing policies,ensuring standards, providing direction and guidance to staff, maintaining nursing standard andcompliance and so on (Hinno, Partanen & Vehvilainen-Julkunen, 2012).And even, with the dawnof state-of-the-art technologies and complex health and nursing challenges, it is vital for such A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 3key officers to embrace the transformational leadership style. The said leadership style has aproven track record on the topic of motivating employees (RN, LPN or any other staff members),cultivating relationship, evoking innovation in the workplace, boosting individualizedconsideration, invoking momentum, focus, energy and commitment to the workplace and so on.The transformation leadership in the nursing domain can be useful for various matters,such as care with dignity, family centered care, quality of care, and so on. In line with this focus,in Adams’ (2010) work, it was clearly found that shared values and collaborative vision can be agreat tool to achieve the topnotch quality of the care. Further, Adams noted that death withdignity could be served as a good yardstick for the American citizens, who breathe their lastbreath in the hospice care. He also observed that love, compassion, gentleness and peace couldpave the ways for them to enjoy the end life in a better way. However, this research was mainlydirected towards the end-of-life care instead of overall diagnosis or health organization’sperformance.Likewise, Bass (1998) effortlessly highlighted the features or aspects of thetransformation leadership style and stated a few niceties that can be associated with the saidleadership style. He mentioned that such leaders attract followers by possessing and diffusinglong or short term vision. They did with this by motivating employees, which enable them to beresourceful and independent in their daily care tasks to the patients. He also identified leaders’good behavior, such as contingent reward and active management by exception in thetransformation leadership style that can offer an inviting range of unique options to healthprofessionals to take their performance at a higher level. A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 4In truth, Bass has done a fabulous job individually and by means of collaborating withother scholars to understand the transformational leadership in an effective manner. For example,Bass (1985) has identified four characteristics in transformational leaders, such as considerationfor each employee, play the role of a teacher for intellectual stimulation (seek ideas from thegroup by giving challenges), give meaning to each task, and remain honest, enthusiastic, and feelproud about subordinates. In fact, transformational leaders should have a big part in doing thedifferent tasks consistent with the decided goals. Bass (1990a) also pointed out that such leadersmake faithful and selfless workforces. Transformational leaders have the seamless ability toinspire, motivate and foster commitment intended for shared purpose (Bass, Waldman&Einstein, 1987). Bass and Avolio (1994) on the other hand observed strong moral identity andimportance on the moral values for various decisions and communication purposes in the saidleadership style. Bass & Avolio (1995) also saw that transformational leaders sway underlings byencouraging and stimulating them to accomplish organizational goals. Bass (1998) stated that,“transformational leadership behaviour goes beyond by further stimulating extra effort andperformance in their employees” (p.122).Reviewing Bass’ work (1985), Bass, Jung, Avolio, &Berson (2003) stated that transformational leaders’ functions are more consistent with the socialvalues and such leaders often raise the bar in the crucial situations.In view of the nursing field, Kouzes and Posner (1987) noted that transformationalleaders are found with certain practices, such as they inspire a mutual vision, challenge theprocess (risk taking nature), share powers to strengthen other people, celebrate trivial victories,and enable atmosphere in a way that shared vision can be achieved. Kouzes and Posner (2003)straightforwardly recommended transformational leadership for healthcare leaders in order toboost the continual changes at the organizational levels. Kouzes and Posner (2007) also found A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 5trustworthiness, aptitude, higher emotional quotient and the capacity to see the future inachieving followership in the transformational leader. These authors endorse leaders, who valuecollaboration, trust and accountability.Bearing the transformation leadership in the mind, specialists Rudisill & Thompson(2012) excellently indicated that nursing officers should cultivate effective communication,inspirational traits, trustworthiness, and skills regarding teamwork in their daily responsibilities.It without a doubt results in creating the environment in which nurses and additional supportstaff can grow professionally and exhibit the best health related tasks. Supreme credibility andexemplary nature were also recognized as the concrete dynamics for the transformationleadership style. Nonetheless, this study did not include the techniques by which chief nursingofficer can create the impact on a broader scale.Ferguson (2015) put the emphasis on the leadership aspects of the nurse for various workchallenges. Climate change, introduction of the fatal infections or diseases, disasters, wars, orearthquakes are a few, which could present challenges to health systems of any nations. Ferguson(2015)observed a small number of capabilities in such leaders, such as their ability to participatein health proposals and policies, articulation skills, management of the change, activecontribution in enlightening and mentoring the relationship and developing strategic plans.Further, she stated that chief nursing officers together with nurse community with the help of thetransformation leadership style could lay concrete on the way to fight against the challengesconcerning future global health, safe population health care, and superiority in nursing servicesand so on. Nevertheless, the said research did not shed the light on the topic of the patientsatisfaction and finance themes. A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 6Every year, the issue of knowledge loss, experience, and retention efforts in the nursingfield remains the crucial. Transformational leadership style in the nursing domain can help chiefofficers practice moral leadership and bring in the adaptability, creativity, collaboration, rapiddecision making model and so on in real-time settings (Smith, 2011). Such features can facilitatecare atmosphere to address the issues on the subject of loss of knowledge, experience, leadershiperrors, switching the nurse roles, knowledge transfer to novice nurses (education program) andso on.In line with the said matter, Lewis (2015) found that retirement could prevent any caresettings on a higher scale, which could be settled by preventive programs related to the educationor knowledge management. Hence, the transformational leadership was said to be tactical in thisresearch intended for workforce staffing, retention efforts, and succession planning for nursingturf.Truthfully, any chief nursing officer can be the transformational leader. However, he hasto work out on the different aspects, such as bringing changes in the personal and professionallevels. For example, chief officers should create enthusiastic health atmosphere, let nursesparticipate in leadership agendas, develop imagination for health policies and vision for thebigger picture of the health care, motivate and mentor novice nurses to team up with veterans fordifferent solutions, support monitoring framework, form reward system for healthierperformance, share expertise, and create a center of excellence by enabling the diversity andequity in the care atmosphere (Smith, 2011). And even, individually, such officers shouldcommunicate well, exhibit self-sacrificing behavior, show confidence in each employee,encourage productivity, commitment, and ethical behavior, help subordinate know and kindletheir inner potential and interests corresponding to the organizational goals, and so on. Truly, thisresearch found meticulous data on the topic of how to be a transformational leader. Chief nursing A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 7officers should read this literature to implement the transformational leadership style in its realsense and meaning.Similarly, with respect to the transformational leadership in the nursing, Murphy (2005)advised the top management to construct the climate, which has features of mutual trust, utmostjob satisfaction, commitment, high quality of patient care, personal and professional growth andso on. Murphy also recommended top leaders or officers to use a multidisciplinary teamapproach for the patient care. However, this examination did not cast a light with reference to theinclusive framework for the hospice care.Ross (2014) clearly suggested the means to be a transformational leader in depth. Sheadvocated a few developments and programs. According to Ross, “Professional nursingassociations and nurse leaders should foster leadership development and mentoring programsthroughout their associations to enhance the organizational outcomes as well as the experiencesof the members” (p. 205). Talking about PNA, the author concluded that leaders should opendoors for subordinates, assistants, and other health professionals to advance the healthcare in avoluminous manner. Unanimity and divorce voice from the same community can give an edge tochief nursing officers to reach the inclusive solution for various nursing issues. Nevertheless, inthis study, financial and strategic planning together with specific care structuresrelated matterswere missing.ConclusionIn a nutshell, from the above discussion and review, transformational leadership is a keystyle to success in the nursing domain. In fact, a voluminous body of research has shown thatsuch transformational leadership style in health care does have an expedient role to play in A LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRANSFORMATIONAL 8miscellaneous focuses, such as patient safety, clinical processes and outcomes, patientsatisfaction, upgraded employee performance, cost reduction, shifting and elevating the scale ofcare model and so on (Smith, 2011).In truth, chief nursing officer can be a transformational leader, if he incorporates specificaspects and behaviors in the professional lives. For instance, proactiveness, contingent reward,intellectual stimulation, personal consideration, shared vision, high credibility, emotionalintelligence, mobilization of resources, team work, self-efficacy, and ethical behavior can beideal for chief nursing officer to be a transformational leader. Furthermore, innovation in theworkplace, supreme credibility, exemplary nature, active management, education program, self- sacrificing behavior, encouragement to productivity, commitment, and ethical behavior,multidisciplinary team approach meant for patient care and future global health issues are alsoperfect and observed characteristics as well as behaviors to be a transformational leader. "