Assignment: Application: Taking a Stand

Effective leaders have a high degree of self-awareness and know how to leverage their strengths in the workplace. Assessments are a valuable tool that professionals can use to learn more about themselves and consider how their temperament and preferences influence their interactions with others.

As you engage in this learning process, it is important to remember that everyone—regardless of temperament type or related preferences—experiences some challenges with regard to leadership. The key to success is being able to recognize and leverage your own strengths while honoring differences among your colleagues.

At some point in your leadership career, you will encounter an ethical or moral dilemma that requires you to take a stand and defend your position.

For this Assignment, you evaluate an issue and consider how you could act as a moral agent or advocate, facilitating the resolution of the issue for a positive outcome.

To prepare:

• Consider the examples of leadership demonstrated in this week’s media presentation and the other Learning Resources.
• To further your self-knowledge, you are required to complete the Kiersey Temperament as indicated in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider your leadership style, including your strengths for leading others and include your results from Kiersey Temperament Sorter to describe potential challenges related to your leadership style.
• Mentally survey your work environment, or one with which you are familiar, and identify a timely issue/dilemma that requires you to perform the leadership role of moral agent or advocate to improve a situation (e.g., speaking or acting on behalf of a vulnerable patient, the need for appropriate staffing, a colleague being treated unfairly).
• What ethical, moral, or legal skills, dispositions, and/or strategies would help you resolve this dilemma? Define the differences between ethical, moral, and legal leadership.
• Finally, consider the values and principles that guide the nursing profession; the organization’s mission, vision, and values; the leadership and management competencies addressed in this course; and your own values and reasons for entering the profession. What motivation do you see for taking a stand on an important issue even when it is difficult to do so?

To complete:

By Day 7

Write a 4 to 5 page paper (page count does not include title and reference page) that addresses the following:

• Introduce the conceptual frameworks of the ethical constructs of ethics, moral, or legal standards and the purpose of the paper.
• Consider  an ethical, moral, or legal dilemma that you have encountered in your work environment and describe it.
• Analyze the moral, ethical, and legal implications utilized in this situation. Describe your role as a moral agent or advocate for this specific issue.
• Consider your leadership styles identified by your self-assessment and determine if they act as a barrier or facilitation during this dilemma. 

Required Readings

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

• • Chapter 4, “Ethical Issues”This chapter examines ethical frameworks for decision making and principles of ethical reasoning. You are also introduced to the ANA Code of Ethics and Professional Standards, MORAL decision-making model, and ethics committees.

• • Chapter 5, “Legal and Legislative Issues”Chapter 5 provides an overview of the many legal and legislative issues of which leaders and managers need to be aware. As you read this chapter, keep these issues in mind.

• Chapter 6, “Patient, Subordinate, and Professional Advocacy”Nurses are the best advocates for patients and the profession. This chapter examines more closely the role of becoming an advocate, patient rights, subordinate advocacy, whistle-blowing, professional advocacy, advocacy in legislation and public policy, and media.

Cianci, A. M., Hannah, S. T., Roberts, R. P., & Tsakumis, G. T. (2014). The effects of authentic leadership on followers’ ethical decision-making in the face of temptation: An experimental study. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 581–594. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.12.001

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Disch, J. (2014). Using Evidence-Based Advocacy to Improve the Nation’s Health. Nurse Leader, 12(4), 28–31. doi:10.1016/j.mnl.2014.05.003

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.