Purpose The development of nursing leadership in Ireland is on-going and still found today. The transcultural aspect of the nursing profession includes the understanding of how nurses from other cultures perform, assess, plan, evaluate, advocate, and become leaders. This qualitative study highlights these phenomenal Irish nurse leaders who found ways to make numerous advancements in nursing as a profession and advance their practice. The purpose of this study is to understand nurse leadership development within the Irish context.
Method A focused ethnographical research design was used in interviewing four Irish nurse leaders as they have evolved and assumed leadership roles. The participants answered the same interview questions related to leadership and advancement of their profession within their culture. Interviews were conducted with convenience of the participants, which took place in Dublin and London.
Results The major themes from this study includes: gender differences, leadership strategies, political acumen, and cultural impact. This study parallels Leininger (1991) in describing and understanding how culture is intertwined within the nursing profession in the benefit of a common good, such as in the care of others and in the development of leadership roles. Gender differences, within the leadership role, was seen as a learning activity as they faced unknown power differences and obtainment of authority when advancing into these roles. Transcultural aspects within the political landscape of the Irish culture, impacted the professional development process and often delayed how and when these nurse leaders obtained authority hindering development. Transformational leadership was seen as the necessary role in order to transgress across barriers as the profession of nursing advanced within the Irish cultural context.
Conclusion The Irish nurse leaders, interviewed in this study, learned to overcome cultural, political, gender differences, and socio-economic barriers to influence policy and role attainment as they progressed in the advancement of their practice as well as in the development of leadership roles.