The search for the discipline of nursing.
OBJECTIVE
This is a personal reflection on the need for visible academic leadership of the Discipline of Nursing.


BACKGROUND
Health care is under tremendous pressure to reform. Therefore, does nursing have a strong enough discipline base to provide solutions to the reform agenda, or is it simply seen as a service agency.


RESULTS
The author draws upon a number of health policy references, and nurse leader position statements, to form an argument for leadership.


RESULTS
Nursing has always been described as invisible within health service development and activity. Therefore, if academic leadership is not articulated this will remain the case and nurses will continue to be seen as task-orientated skilled workers.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurse Managers need to have a clear model of nursing and its discipline firmly embedded in their thinking before they can lead anything. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSE MANAGEMENT: The implications are that Nurse Managers need to have a thorough grounding in the discipline of nursing, possess a clear vision of what nursing is, and should be, and possess the skills to bring this about. This paper provides some perspectives for Nurse Managers to consider with regard to their development.
Graham
Iain W
IW
School of Health and Human Sciences, Professor of Health Care Development, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. iain.graham@scu.edu.au
D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000639:trends; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007857:Leadership; D016294:Models, Nursing; D033262:Narration; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000639:trends*; D009729:Nursing / Q000639:trends*; D009736:Nursing Process / Q000639:trends; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing