Application: Taking a Stand

Effective leaders have a high degree of self-awareness and know how to leverage their strengths in the
workplace. Assessments are a valuable tool that professionals can use to learn more about themselves
and consider how their temperament and preferences influence their interactions with others.

As you engage in this learning process, it is important to remember that everyone—regardless of
temperament type or related preferences—experiences some challenges with regard to leadership. The key
to success is being able to recognize and leverage your own strengths while honoring differences among
your colleagues.

At some point in your leadership career, you will encounter an ethical or moral dilemma that requires
you to take a stand and defend your position.

For this Assignment, you evaluate an issue and consider how you could act as a moral agent or advocate,
facilitating the resolution of the issue for a positive outcome.

To prepare:
•Consider the examples of leadership demonstrated in this week’s media presentation and the other
Learning Resources.
•To further your self-knowledge, you are required to complete the Kiersey Temperament as indicated in
this week’s Learning Resources. Consider your leadership style, including your strengths for leading
others and include your results from Kiersey Temperament Sorter to describe potential challenges
related to your leadership style.
•Mentally survey your work environment, or one with which you are familiar, and identify a timely
issue/dilemma that requires you to perform the leadership role of moral agent or advocate to improve a
situation (e.g., speaking or acting on behalf of a vulnerable patient, the need for appropriate
staffing, a colleague being treated unfairly).
•What ethical, moral, or legal skills, dispositions, and/or strategies would help you resolve this
dilemma? Define the differences between ethical, moral, and legal leadership.
•Finally, consider the values and principles that guide the nursing profession; the organization’s
mission, vision, and values; the leadership and management competencies addressed in this course; and
your own values and reasons for entering the profession. What motivation do you see for taking a stand
on an important issue even when it is difficult to do so?

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To complete:

Write a 4 to 5 page paper (page count does not include title and reference page) that addresses the
following:
•Introduce the conceptual frameworks of the ethical constructs of ethics, moral, or legal standards and
the purpose of the paper.
•Consider an ethical, moral, or legal dilemma that you have encountered in your work environment and
describe it.
•Analyze the moral, ethical, and legal implications utilized in this situation. Describe your role as a
moral agent or advocate for this specific issue.
•Consider your leadership styles identified by your self-assessment and determine if they act as a
barrier or facilitation during this dilemma.

RESOURCES:
Required Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings
List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Readings
•Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory
and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. ◦Chapter 4, “Ethical
Issues”

This chapter examines ethical frameworks for decision making and principles of ethical reasoning. You
are also introduced to the ANA Code of Ethics and Professional Standards, MORAL decision-making model,
and ethics committees.
◦Chapter 5, “Legal and Legislative Issues”

Chapter 5 provides an overview of the many legal and legislative issues of which leaders and managers
need to be aware. As you read this chapter, keep these issues in mind.
◦Chapter 6, “Patient, Subordinate, and Professional Advocacy”

Nurses are the best advocates for patients and the profession. This chapter examines more closely the
role of becoming an advocate, patient rights, subordinate advocacy, whistle-blowing, professional
advocacy, advocacy in legislation and public policy, and media.

•Cianci, A. M., Hannah, S. T., Roberts, R. P., & Tsakumis, G. T. (2014). The effects of authentic
leadership on followers’ ethical decision-making in the face of temptation: An experimental study. The
Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 581-594. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.12.001

Abstract excerpt: The present research investigates the impact of authentic leadership on followers’
morality, operationalized as ethical decision-making, in the face of temptation. This experiment finds
that authentic leadership and temptation interacted to affect individuals’ ethical decision-making.
Specifically, authentic leadership significantly inhibited individuals’ from making unethical decisions
in the face of temptation, whereas followers of neutral or less authentic leaders were more likely to
succumb to temptation..
•Disch, J. (2014). Using Evidence-Based Advocacy to Improve the Nation’s Health. Nurse Leader, 12(4),
28-31. doi:10.1016/j.mnl.2014.05.003

Abstract excerpt: Evidence-based practice is 1 of the 5 competencies that the Institute of Medicine has
identified for all health professionals. Its intent is to employ evidence-based practice and integrate
best research results, clinical expertise, and patient values to make patient care decisions. This
article will explore the concept of evidence-based advocacy and describe ways in which one prominent
nursing organization, the American Academy of Nursing, uses evidence-based advocacy to positively
impact the nation’s health and advance the nursing profession
•Martin, M. B. (2014). Transcultural Advocacy and Policy in the Workplace: Implications for Nurses in
Professional Development. Journal for nurses in professional development, 30(1), 29-33. doi:
10.1097/NND.0000000000000027

Abstract: This article introduces the role of nursing professional development specialists in serving
as a resource for both patient and staff advocacy regarding cultural and linguistic matters. The impact
of changing demographics, support for civil rights, and established policy related to culture and
linguistics is emphasized. An overview of policy at local, state, and national levels is suggested to
promote nursing professional development in the interest of culturally and linguistically compliant
nursing practice.
•Woods, M. (2014). Beyond moral distress preserving the ethical integrity of nurses. Nursing Ethics,
21(2), 127-128.
This guest editorial discusses the difficulties involved in dealing with those sometimes-painful moral
problems encountered in practice.