What Is Transformational Leadership in Nursing?
Written by:
Wilson College Online
• Jul 16, 2026
Strong leadership in nursing is a vital component of any successful healthcare system. For example, a 2025 report in the journal Nurse Leader noted that effective leaders in nursing can contribute to:
- Improving clinical outcomes
- Sustaining staff morale
- Strengthening collaboration among healthcare professionals
To ensure that they provide solid leadership, nurses need to become familiar with leadership styles that can generate positive results. Becoming knowledgeable about transformational leadership can help nurses in leadership roles support excellence in their healthcare organizations.
Nurses who want to pursue leadership positions by earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree can benefit from exploring transformational leadership and its importance in nursing.
What Is Transformational Leadership?
Practicing transformational leadership centers on inspiring and supporting the people a leader oversees to do their best. This style of leadership can build loyalty and encourage others to work hard and perform at their highest levels.
Individuals who practice transformational leadership share their passion with others. They want others to succeed and, therefore, they support others in performing their jobs to the best of their abilities. Transformational leaders also instill confidence in the people they oversee and inspire them to grow in their roles.
What a Transformational Leader Does
A transformational leader in nursing actively works to:
- Express a clear vision for the work to be done and inspire others to care about accomplishing goals
- Serve as a role model for others and influence them through their own actions
- Encourage others to be creative, discover new approaches, and find opportunities to acquire knowledge
- Pay personal attention to others and show concern regarding their needs
- Exercise open communication that encourage others to share their thoughts and ideas
Skills and Abilities of a Transformational Leader
Effective transformational leaders cultivate skills and abilities in areas such as:
- Active listening
- Emotional intelligence
- Problem-solving
- Adaptability
- Open-mindedness
- Risk tasking
Examples of Transformational Leadership in Nursing
When examining leadership styles in nursing, it can be helpful to explore examples that demonstrate how transformational leadership can affect nurses and the healthcare they provide. For example, transformational leadership in nursing can:
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Empower nurses to improve patient safety. Individuals who become nurse managers or advance to other leadership positions can implement a transformational leadership approach that empowers the nurses they oversee to act quickly and make clinical decisions in time-sensitive situations. Ultimately, this can improve patient safety.
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Promote nurse engagement, which strengthens quality of care. Nurse leaders who practice transformational leadership can motivate the nurses they supervise to become more engaged in their work and feel a greater sense of dedication. Nurses who are relatively more engaged in and dedicated to their work can enhance the quality of healthcare that patients receive.
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Strengthen nurses’ sense of value, which can improve nurse retention. Transformational nurse leaders regularly demonstrate that they value the work of the nurses they oversee. This feedback can have a positive effect on how nurses feel about their employers and, therefore, reduce turnover among nurses.
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Spur innovation and collaboration that result in new nursing practices and technologies. Nurse leaders who practice transformational leadership empower the nurses they oversee to be creative and collaborative with other healthcare professionals. This has the potential to lead to improvements in nursing practices or even the creation of new healthcare technologies.
How Can Nurses Develop Leadership Skills?
Nurses have the opportunity to acquire or strengthen their leadership skills in various ways. Below are a few approaches nurses can take to cultivate their leadership skills.
Pursue an Advanced Degree
Earning an advanced nursing degree is one of the best ways for a nurse to develop their leadership skills. For example, nurses who earn an MSN degree can take courses in several subjects that can enhance their leadership skills, such as:
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Interpersonal dynamics
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Leadership models and practices
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Healthcare systems
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Process reengineering and change management
Find or Become a Mentor
Finding an experienced nurse to serve as your mentor can be a good way to get advice on leadership, guidance on leadership styles, and tips on how to handle challenges in nursing leadership.
Becoming a mentor to another nurse is another good way to refine your leadership skills. Serving as a mentor for someone else can help you strengthen your communication skills and gain experience encouraging and supporting a fellow nurse.
Seek Professional Development Opportunities
Participating in professional development opportunities can help strengthen nurses’ leadership skills. Attending professional development classes or workshops about transformational leadership in nursing or related subjects can help nurses develop their abilities to provide strong leadership.
Network With Other Nurses
Networking with other nurses can be a great way to share information and learn about nursing leadership. Joining professional organizations or attending conferences can also help nurses form strong networks of support with others in their field.
Volunteer for Opportunities to Practice Your Leadership Skills
Nurses who volunteer for opportunities at work, like serving on a committee or in their communities or leading a service project, can gain valuable experience using and refining their leadership skills. Volunteering is also a great way to observe and learn from others’ leadership skills.
Become a Transformational Leader in Nursing and Inspire Others to Elevate Nursing Practice
Individuals who implement transformational leadership in nursing have the potential to strengthen multiple aspects of our healthcare system. By supporting, inspiring, and motivating the nurses they oversee, nurse leaders can make tremendous contributions to the profession they love and to improving our healthcare system.
Individuals who want to advance to leadership roles in nursing can explore Wilson College Online’s MSN degree program to learn how it can help them reach their career goals. Offering both a leadership and management track and an education track, this online program requires no clinical hours and prepares students for advanced roles in nursing and healthcare. Take your first step on the path to nursing career advancement today.
Recommended Readings
Can Nurses Increase Their Salary With an MSN?
Clinical Nurse Leader: Salary and Job Description
How to Balance Nursing School and Work
Sources:
American Nurses Association, Leadership in Nursing: Qualities & Why It Matters
American Nurses Association, What Is Transformational Leadership in Nursing?
Nurse Leader, “Leading the Way”
Psychology Today, “The 4 Elements of Transformational Leaders”
Relias, “Characteristics and Examples of Transformational Leadership in Nursing”
Relias, “How Transformational Leadership Improves Patient Safety”
Trusted, How to Improve Leadership Skills in Nursing and Take Your Career to the Next Level
Verywell Mind, “How Transformational Leadership Can Inspire Others”
