5 Nurse Leadership Skills and How to Develop Them
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 11, 2026
Nurses have earned a level of public trust shared by few other professions. In Gallup’s 2025 Honesty and Ethics poll, 75% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “high” or “very high,” placing them at the top of the list, ahead of doctors and teachers. Nurses have held this distinction for nearly every year since Gallup added them to the poll. This trust gives nurses a strong foundation for influencing care and guiding others.
That influence is central to nursing leadership, which is often defined by a nurse’s actions rather than a formal title. Nurses can lead from the bedside or other settings by helping colleagues provide safe, effective care and supporting improvements in practice. Developing nurse leadership skills can enable them to extend their impact beyond individual patient interactions to the teams and systems that shape healthcare delivery.
For nurses who want to take on greater responsibility, an advanced nursing education can deepen both their clinical skills and their understanding of leadership within complex healthcare systems.
What Is Nurse Leadership?
In any industry, strong leadership can help teams and organizations navigate challenges and work toward shared goals. The importance of leadership is particularly clear in healthcare, where professionals from different disciplines must coordinate their work and decisions can directly affect patient safety and care quality.
Nurse leadership often encompasses more than managing staff or overseeing daily operations, and nurses don’t always need to hold a position of authority to lead. Rather, it’s reflected in their ability to apply sound judgment and motivate their colleagues. Nurse leaders also consider how everyday clinical work contributes to broader organizational priorities.
Effective leadership can help cultivate a workplace where employees feel valued and comfortable raising concerns. This environment can bolster morale and improve job satisfaction, which may lead to greater retention. A 2025 study published in BMC Health Services Research examined more than 1,000 nurses across 20 hospitals and showed a link between strong clinical leadership and increased staff engagement.
These benefits can also extend to patient safety and outcomes. A 2024 study in Australasian Emergency Care found that emergency room nurses who rated their managers more highly on transformational leadership—one of the more widely practiced leadership styles in nursing—reported fewer adverse patient events and higher quality nursing care.
5 Essential Leadership Skills for Nurses
Leadership roles and responsibilities vary across healthcare settings, but many draw on the same core abilities. Developing these skills can prepare nurses to address complex situations and bring out the best in those around them.
Below are some of the most vital leadership skills for nurses.
1. Communication and Collaboration
Effective communication, considered one of the most important attributes for healthcare professionals, allows nurse leaders to establish expectations and explain the reasoning behind their decisions. Active listening also helps them understand the needs of both patients and colleagues, which can foster trust.
Because healthcare depends heavily on coordination across disciplines and because nurses often serve as the linchpins of care teams, the ability to collaborate helps nurse leaders build productive relationships and resolve disagreements.
2. Critical Thinking and Ethical Decision-Making
Clinical environments often require leaders to make timely decisions under pressure. Critical thinking helps nurse leaders examine the available evidence in a given situation and consider how a decision may affect care.
Ethical judgment, meanwhile, requires them to remain accountable and apply professional standards throughout the decision-making process.
3. Team Development and Management
Healthcare delivery is a team effort, and nurse leaders need to understand the individual strengths of the people they work with. That knowledge can help them delegate responsibilities thoughtfully, preventing colleagues from becoming overwhelmed.
Nurse leaders should also be prepared to mentor nurses who aspire to become leaders themselves.
4. Quality Improvement and Change Management
Quality improvement entails looking closely at current practices to see what could work better. Nurse leaders can review safety and performance data to inform these efforts. Once they decide what needs to change, they can guide their teams through the transition.
Ongoing evaluation helps leaders determine whether the new approach is working as intended.
5. Technological Fluency and AI Literacy
Keeping pace with new technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is a crucial leadership skill for nurses. Electronic health records (EHRs) are ubiquitous across healthcare, with 91% of physicians’ offices and nearly all nonfederal acute care hospitals using them, according to 2024 data from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Meanwhile, AI is increasingly influencing areas such as medical imaging and virtual health assistance.
As organizations adopt these tools, nurse leaders need to make sure their teams are prepared to use them effectively.
How Nurses Can Develop Leadership Skills
Developing leadership skills is beneficial for nurses at every level of the profession, regardless of title or discipline. Nurses can hone their leadership competencies through education and by taking advantage of opportunities to apply new abilities in practice. Nurses can take several steps to continue developing as leaders:
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Seek feedback. Performance reviews and input from supervisors and coworkers can reveal strengths as well as areas for improvement. A self-assessment can also help nurses decide where to focus their efforts.
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Find a mentor. Experienced nurses can offer perspective and help aspiring leaders build valuable skills, such as critical thinking and decision-making. Nurses can also practice leadership by mentoring others.
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Pursue professional development. Pursuing an advanced nursing degree or professional development opportunities can help nurses deepen their expertise and stay current with the ever-changing healthcare landscape.
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Find ways to lead. Nurses can volunteer for workplace initiatives or committee roles that give them opportunities to take on greater responsibility without waiting for a formal leadership position to open up.
Build the Skills to Lead
Developing leadership skills enables nurses to shape patient care and influence the teams around them, with or without an official title. By combining practical experience with advanced education, nurses can hone these abilities and prepare for leadership opportunities.
If you’re looking to become a nurse leader, explore the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Wilson College Online. The program offers two tracks—Education, or Leadership and Management—allowing you to tailor your studies to your career goals. Its asynchronous coursework also provides the flexibility to continue working while you earn your degree.
Learn how Wilson can help you become a nurse leader.
Recommended Readings
Management vs. Leadership: Similarities and Differences
What Is Transformational Leadership in Nursing?
What Is Nursing Professional Development?
Sources:
American Nurse Journal, “How Nursing Leaders are Adopting Artificial Intelligence”
American Nurses Association, Leadership in Nursing: Qualities & Why It Matters
American Nurses Association Illinois, ANA-Illinois Guide to Developing Nursing Leadership Skills
American Organization for Nursing Leadership, AONL Nurse Leader Core Competencies
Gallup, “Nurses Continue to Lead in Honesty and Ethics Ratings”
Indeed, 10 Nursing Leadership Qualities and Behaviors
Indeed, What Is Nursing Leadership? Definition and Strategies
