Administrator Leadership Styles and Their Impact on School Nursing

Abstract

In comparison to other professional staff in an educational based setting, the registered professional school nurse has unique roles, responsibilities, education, training, and scope of practice. In carrying out this unique and specialized role, school nurses operate under a building administrator, the leader of the building and often the immediate supervisor of the school nurse. In addition, many school nurses in small districts are the only registered professional nurse employed by the school. The building administrator’s leadership style not only sets the tone for the day-to-day operations in the school but also impacts the school nurse functioning and program implementation. This article reviews the three most common types of leadership styles as defined by Kurt Lewin—laissez-faire, democratic, and coercive/authoritarian—and their potential impact on school nursing practice. In addition, the article provides recommendations for school nurses for successful practice with regard to supervisor leadership styles.