Becoming an Authentic Leader as a New DNP or PhD Young-in-Age Nurse

The American Nurses Association Position Statement (2011) states that access to quality health care and better health care outcomes are achieved through preparation of the next generation of nurses.  The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (2011) as well as Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006) identify the importance of producing graduates who possess knowledge and skills to achieve positive outcomes in a complex, rapidly evolving health care environment.  Programs of study in both Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) programs are designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in clinical practice, research, and academic settings.  In response to calls to increase the number of nurses with advanced education, many universities have responded with programs to more rapidly advance students from pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree directly to that of a doctoral degree.  Upon graduation, nurses with new DNP and PhD credentials must be ready to decide how they can and will influence and lead people and organizations to re-frame and transform health care delivery.  Young-in-age nurses with new credentials and little to no leadership experiences may feel intimidated when placed in leadership positions and encounter resistance from colleagues.  

This presentation describes how young-in-age nurses who recently earned a DNP or PhD can influence follower attitudes, behaviors, and performance utilizing an emerging theory of authentic leadership. Participants will have an opportunity to identify leadership challenges in their workplace and examine these challenges from the lens of authentic leadership.  While conventional leadership theories focus on traits and behaviors, authentic leadership emphasizes the character of the leader, such as compassion, values, consistency, and connectedness.  Authentic leaders can understand their values and convictions by constructing a life-story (Murphy, 2012).  The life-story approach to develop as an authentic leader suggests that self-awareness and self-knowledge are foundational components in garnering credibility and the development of authentic followers.  For nurses who have limited life experiences as a leader may find creating a life-story difficult work.   This presentation takes a theoretical approach and offers strategies to create a life-story to which authentic leadership development can occur.