title: If this is where we are in nursing, is this where we want to be?
abstract: I realize this incident was a decision made by one Nurse Leader. However, I see an inappropriate and, yes, unethical focus upon leadership. Two classic articles support my concern. Meindl and Ehrlich (1987) argue that romantization of leadership negatively impacts collective efforts to understand and improve organizations. Hall (2002) challenged that systems do not make mistakes, people do. She does not advocate blaming people; her point is that people make errors that kill patients but fixing the systems without 'fixing' people won't work. Both systems and people make mistakes. When I study current popular leadership theories and models, I see an 'if - then' format. For example, if and only if the Transformational Leader enacts specific behaviors, then RNs will act like adults, come to work, and do their job. I love nursing. I truly am saddened to see the direction the profession is taking. We are refusing to give staff RNs the gift of being professionals. This is where we are, is this where we want to be?
authors.affiliation: Director Nursing Administration Program, OUHSC College of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: Betty R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kupperschmidt
mesh_terms: D056902:Clinical Alarms; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000451:nursing*; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D009825:Oklahoma; D015279:Organizational Culture