| Course | NUR 445 Nursing Management in Health Care |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Discussion post with peer reply |
| Length | About 450 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 445 Module 1
Class Discussion Board: Leadership Styles
Two Leaders on One Unit: What a Servant-Leading Charge Nurse and a Task-Focused Manager Taught Me About My Own Style
Initial Post
Two leaders on my unit show the difference between leadership styles more clearly than any definition. The first is a night charge nurse who has worked on our 30-bed medical unit for 19 years. She takes the hardest admission when the unit is short, checks on new graduates before they ask, and explains her decisions. She rarely raises her voice, and staff follow her because they trust her. This is close to what our module calls servant leadership: the leader's first concern is the growth and well-being of the people she leads, and authority follows from that service.
The second is a former manager who led mainly through tasks and numbers. She posted compliance rates, sent reminders about missed documentation, and held one-on-one meetings mostly when something went wrong. She was organized and the unit's audit scores were good, but turnover was high and few nurses volunteered for committees.
The research supports what I saw. Cummings et al. (2018) pooled more than a hundred studies, and they pointed the same way: nurses led by transformational or resonant leaders reported more job satisfaction and better working relationships, and nurses under task-centered leaders tended to report less. Our textbook reading frames leadership as influence rather than position, which explains why a charge nurse without formal authority can lead more effectively than a manager with it (Weberg et al., 2019).
My own style is still forming. I am relational by habit: I help colleagues, I listen, and I am trusted by patients' families. My weakness is avoiding conflict. When a colleague cuts corners, I tend to fix the problem myself instead of addressing it, which is helpful in the moment and unhelpful over time. Authentic leadership, which emphasizes self-awareness and consistency between values and actions, describes what I need to grow into: being as honest with colleagues as I am kind to them.
Reply to a Classmate
Jasmine, your point that you lead from the bedside without a title connects to what I wrote about our charge nurse. One thing I noticed in your example of organizing the unit's supply room is that you involved the technicians in deciding where things should go, rather than doing it alone. That seems like the relational style the Cummings review describes, and it probably explains why the change stuck. Do you think your manager noticed? Followership research describes leaders and followers as shaping each other's work (Honan et al., 2022), so I wonder whether informal leaders like you could be invited into shared governance so that what you already do has a formal channel.
References
Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.04.016
Honan, D. M., Lasiuk, G., & Rohatinsky, N. (2022). A scoping review of followership in nursing. Nursing Leadership, 35(1), 69-78. https://doi.org/10.12927/cjnl.2022.26749
Weberg, D., Mangold, K., Porter-O'Grady, T., & Malloch, K. (2019). Leadership in nursing practice: Changing the landscape of health care (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
NUR 445 Module 1 instructions, in plain terms
In the course syllabus, Module 1 covers health care leadership and management of patient-centered care, current issues, organizational structure, and culture, vision and mission, with a textbook chapter on reserve and short videos on servant and authentic leadership. Its graded work is a roll call introduction video and this class discussion on leadership styles. Discussion boards together are worth 32 of the course's 100 points, so each board counts. The prompt typically asks you to describe leadership styles from the readings, apply them to leaders you have worked with or to yourself, and support your points with sources, then reply to classmates. Check Canvas for the exact questions, word count and reply requirements.
Inside the NUR 445 Module 1 example
The post opens with two real-seeming leaders on one unit instead of definitions, which lets the styles emerge from behavior. A paragraph on each leader describes concrete actions and their effects on the team. The writer then supports her observations with a large systematic review and the course text, using each source for a specific point. A self-assessment names her relational strengths, one weakness, conflict avoidance, and the style she wants to grow into. The reply to a classmate connects a peer's example to the same review and asks a practical question about shared governance. The tone stays respectful toward both leaders, which matters on a board classmates and faculty can read.
Reading the NUR 445 Module 1 grading rubric
Leadership discussions in NUR 445 are usually graded on accurate description of leadership styles from the readings, application to real examples, scholarly support, self-reflection, and quality of replies, plus APA format and timeliness. Graders look for styles applied to behaviors rather than listed. A post that judges one style good and another bad without nuance may lose points for analysis; acknowledging what the task-focused leader did well, such as strong audit results, shows balance. Replies that extend a peer's thinking with a question or source score better than agreement. Strong posts also show that the writer read the module's servant and authentic leadership material, not only the textbook chapter.
NUR 445 Module 1 help from the desk
A frequent mistake is describing leadership styles in textbook language with no example. Another is writing about a famous leader instead of someone you have worked with, which the prompt rarely asks for. Avoid naming or identifying real colleagues and keep criticism professional. Include your own style and at least one growth area. Cite the course reading and one research source. If the prompt asks about a specific style, such as servant leadership, focus there. For a draft shaped around the leaders on your own unit, share the board prompt and a few lines about them. A reply that only praises a classmate rarely earns full credit, so add a question or a source.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 445 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 445 Module 1 sample paper?
The leadership styles discussion is on this page in full: a post comparing a servant-leading charge nurse with a task-focused manager, a self-assessment, a reply to a classmate and references.
What leadership styles should I discuss in NUR 445?
Use the styles in your readings, such as transformational, servant, authentic, transactional and task-focused leadership, and apply them to leaders you have worked with.
Is servant leadership effective in nursing?
Relational styles, including servant and transformational leadership, are associated with higher nurse satisfaction and better work relationships in research reviews.
Should I describe my own leadership style in NUR 445?
Yes, if the prompt asks. Name your style, give an example, and identify one area to develop.
How many sources do NUR 445 discussions need?
Check Canvas. Most posts should cite the course reading and at least one scholarly article in APA format.