Leadership and innovation in nursing seen through a historical lens

How to use leadership to spark innovation: Good nursing leadership when practising innovation is vital to quality patient care

Innovation, creativity and leadership in nursing are essential to meet healthcare's constantly growing demands and to improve health and well-being. However, improvement initiatives require leadership and innovation support to make a positive impact ( Knol and van Linge 2009 ).

The fundamental managerial challenges in the role of a contemporary district nurse: A discussion

This article examines some of the fundamental challenges facing the district nurse in delivery of the managerial aspects of her role in contemporary practice. It discusses the personal attributes that are essential for this role to ensure safe, effective and compassionate leadership and management. The communication skills and ethos underpinning collaborative multidiscilplinary team work and person-centred care are discussed. Issues that compromise positive and productive team working are identified, and strategies dealing with conflict and also change management are debated. These factors are interrelated with the everyday demands of caseload management, the development of educational needs to meet the demands of increased complexity in care needs, and the place of technology in modern health care. It is evidenced that sustained organisational support for this role is more important than ever, due to increasing demand and decreasing capacity. Potential solutions to these challenges are offered to assist the contemporary district nurse.