6-A FIRST

Teaching the Core Values of Caring Leadership

Judy B. McDowell, RN, MSN, CCRN is the Professional Practice Manager at Wake Forest Baptist Health, an large academic medical center, in Winston-Salem, NC. She has been a nursing leader for over 40 years in states across the nation, and has been a nurse administrator and a nurse educator. She is a Caritas Coach, having completed a program from the Watson Caring Science Institute. She believes strongly in caring for and about her patients, families and colleagues. She likes to think of herself as a "Possibilitarian."

Donald D. Kautz, RN, PhD, CRRN, CNE is an associate professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he frequently writes and speaks about caring leadership.

Randy L. Williams, RN, MSN, MBA is an advocate for excellence in patient care, as such he firmly believes in creating a caring-healing environment at all levels within which nature can act and self-healing may occur. Randy also believes that a professional nurse is not defined merely by competence or compassion alone, but rather one whom meshes both qualities on competence and compassion resulting in optimal outcomes for all members within the healthcare or human experience.

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Judy B. McDowell, RN, MSN, CCRN

Donald D. Kautz, RN, PhD, CRRN, CNE

Randy L. Williams, RN, MSN, MBA

CORE VALUES

Where it all began…

Original idea was conceptualized using an approach that had been previously been successful with nursing leaders in a large community hospital. 

The work is based upon a foundation of shared decision making and a model of relationship‐based care which led us to a deeper integration of the caring theory with evidence‐based leadership principles.

Watson’s Theory of Human Caring10 Caritas Processes 

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Kouzes’ & Posner’s Leadership Theory5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership 

By blending the concepts of Watson’s Caring Theory with Kouzes and Posner’s 

Leadership Theory…We determine the construct for 

our practice of Caring Leadership

Putting it all together…    

Caring Leadership Model Crosswalk

McDowell‐WilliamsCaring Leadership Model©

Kouzes & PosnerLeadership Theory

Jean WatsonTheory of Human Caring

Always lead with kindness, compassion and equanimity.

Model the Way Practice of loving‐kindness and equanimity; caring 

consciousness Being supportive of expression of positive and negative 

feelings

Generate hope and faith through co-creation. Inspire a Shared Vision Being authentically present in the moment Engaging in genuine teaching‐learning 

experience

Actively innovate with insight, reflection and wisdom.

Challenge the Process Cultivation of one’s own spiritual practices and transpersonal 

self Creative use of self and all ways of knowing

Purposely create protected space founded upon mutual respect and caring.

Enable Others to Act Creating healing environments at all levels Assisting with basic needs, with an intentional caring 

consciousness

Embody an environment of caring-helping-trusting for self and others

Encourage the Heart Developing and sustaining a helping‐trusting authentic caring 

relationship Soul care for self and the one being cared for

References: Watson. J. (2008) The Philosophy and Science of Caring. University Press of Colorado Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2007) The Leadership Challenge. Jossey‐Bass, San Francisco, CA.

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Caring Leadership Model ©

Model of CarePatient/Family, Team, Self, Community

Core Values of Caring Leadership

Always lead with kindness, compassion and equanimity

Generate hope and faith through co-creation

Actively innovate with insight, reflection and wisdom

Purposely create protected space founded upon mutual respect and caring

Embody an environment of caring-helping-trusting for self and others

Shared Decision‐Making

References: Williams, RL, McDowell, JB, and Kautz, DD (2011). A Caring Leadership Model for Nursing’s Future. International Journal for Human Caring (15) 1.Davidson, AW, Ray, MA, and Turkel, MC (2011). Nursing, Caring, and Complexity Science. p.192‐195. Springer Publishing. New York. 

Caring Leadership Model©

caringleadershipmodel@gmail.com

USE OF A CARING LEADERSHIP MODEL TO DEVELOP TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS IN AN ORGANIZATION

Judy B. McDowell, RN, MSN, CCRN, Professional Practice Manager

Randy L. Williams, RN, MSN, MBA, Professional Practice Coordinator

Introduction:

This project involves the very practical use of a caring leadership model in developing transformational nurse leaders in an organization.  We used a foundation of shared governance and a model of relationship‐based care and this enabled integration of the caring theory of Jean Watson and the leadership theory of Kouzes and Posner.

Purpose: The initial purpose of this project was to create a new approach to developing nurse leaders incorporating evidence‐based leadership principles and theory‐based caring principles.  Teaching and role modeling these blended principles can change the entire culture of an organization.

Setting/Participants: The setting was a large academic medical center with 872 licensed beds in the southeastern United States.   The participants were nurses who were elected as leaders for their respective shared governance councils.  This included leaders from 50+ patient care areas, with diverse ethnic backgrounds, 

race, age, gender, education, and years of experience.

Significance:This project was significant because it challenged the traditional methods by which we develop nursing leaders.  This model can be used as a framework to sustain healthy, healing work cultures and allow further development of each nurse’s leadership potential.

Project Evaluation:

The project is on‐going.  We perform regular evaluations of the group’s estimation of their preparedness to lead and their ability to engage their council membership in unit activities, problem‐solving and decision‐making situations.

Project Outcomes:The traditional method of selecting new nursing leaders has been by promoting the strongest clinical nurses to leadership positions.  Oftentimes, these nurses do not have any education or experience in leadership principles or skills.  At the time of the turnover of Shared Governance council leaders, many nurses are stepping forward to become the future leaders.  This program seems to have improved their self‐confidence dramatically, as they have been quite successful in demonstrating significant achievements in their units and in their own personal leadership abilities.  Since the inception of this project, many of the nurses who have participated have moved into formal management and leadership positions, and many others have returned to school.

References:•Kouzes, J. and Posner, B. (2007) The Leadership Challenge. Jossey‐Bass, CA.

•Watson. J. (2008). The Philosophy and Science of Caring. University Press of Colorado

A  G  A  P  ECaritas Leadership of Selfless Love

What else is behind Caring Leadership?Leadership requires many ways of knowing and being, therefore to be a truly rounded Caring Leader we must never stop learning; therefore Caring Leadership is informed by many…..

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The Caring Leadership Model© was developed to challenge the traditional methods by which we choose and develop our nursing leaders.  

It is   designed to integrate leadership principles and skills within a caring consciousness  which increases the nurses’ capacity to lead and their ability to interact with others in a way that inspires and engages. 

Why Caring Leadership?

New leaders are out there, searching for the “right” way to gain support of their team….some by trial and error….some by following examples of others…both good and bad….some  by pure guesswork.

We must help them by providing them with the appropriate guidance and support  and the resources that they need to be successful.

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We have taught the core values of the Caring Leadership Model to our nursing leaders  using one‐page summaries that are designed to  stimulate discussion and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their own leadership within a caring framework.

The Caritas Processes and Exemplary Leadership Practices are incorporated into these sessions and always include stories and scenarios as exemplars emphasizing the critical elements which make the concepts "real" to their clinical settings .

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Within this course,  nurses relate  personal stories to  the core values of caring leadership.  

We mentor and nurture them as they develop and find real and meaningful examples in their everyday practice.

They validate their process and experiences by reflecting upon their values and what matters most

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This work has great implications for the future of nursing in our world today.  

In this difficult time in healthcare, it is imperative that we develop strong caring leaders in order to set our organizations on a course to not only survive but to THRIVE! 

What’s Next??

By returning to our roots in human caring, we can make a difference in our own life, as well as in the lives of our patients, families and colleagues.

We must sustain  our caring practice..…

move forward …  and deepen   and grow in this work 

and in this world!

Future Directions…

We have learned that:

leadership development is an ongoing process that takes deliberate practice 

leadership is a relationship, and like any relationship it must be nurtured over time 

Last but not least, we learned that effective leaders clearly make a difference and that caring leadership is the key to that difference!. 

In our Caring Leadership Classes

Caring Leadership Model © Model of Care

Patient/Family, Team, Self, Community McDowell-Williams

Core Values of Caring Leadership

Always lead with kindness, compassion and equanimity

Generate hope and faith through co-creation

Actively innovate with insight, reflection and wisdom

Purposely create protected space founded upon mutual respect and caring

Embody an environment of caring-helping-trusting for self and others

Shared Decision-Making

Caring Leadership Model© Judy B. McDowell, RN, MSN, CCRN & Randy L. Williams, RN, MSN, MBA

jbmcdowe@wakehealth.edu or Randy.L.Williams@kp.org

Core Values of Caring Leadership Model Crosswalk

McDowell-Williams Caring Leadership Model©

Kouzes & Posner Leadership Theory

Jean Watson Theory of Human Caring

Always lead with kindness, compassion and equanimity.

Model the Way

• Practice of loving-kindness and equanimity; caring consciousness

• Being supportive of expression of positive and negative feelings

Generate hope and faith through

co-creation.

Inspire a Shared Vision

• Being authentically present in the moment

• Engaging in genuine teaching-learning experience

Actively innovate with insight,

reflection and wisdom.

Challenge the Process

• Cultivation of one’s own spiritual practices and transpersonal self

• Creative use of self and all ways of knowing

Purposely create protected space founded upon mutual respect and

caring.

Enable Others to Act

• Creating healing environments at all levels

• Assisting with basic needs, with an intentional caring consciousness

Embody an environment of caring-helping-trusting for self and others

Encourage the Heart

• Developing and sustaining a helping-trusting authentic caring relationship

• Soul care for self and the one being cared for References: Williams, RL, McDowell, JB, and Kautz, DD.(2011). A Caring Leadership Model for Nursing’s Future. International Journal for Human Caring (15) 1.

Reflections on the Core Values of Caring Leadership #1: Always lead with kindness, compassion and equanimity.

Is there really room for kindness and equanimity in the workplace? Healthcare today is a big business with ever-changing demands and constant drives to increase efficiency. In this environment is it really going to make any difference if we, as Watson says “Practice Loving-Kindness”? Who has time for this? Is equanimity really possible?

So how does a leader function with equanimity or balance? How do we promote and accept positive/negative feelings? How should we authentically listen to another’s story?

#2: Generate hope and faith through co-creation. Do we really take the time to be sure that we are generating faith and hope in our work with our patients and families? We are so busy and so task-driven. Do we even recognize when faith and hope are needed? Do we identify those needs in ourselves as well or in our colleagues? Do we inspire our patients and families as we care for them in their times of deepest need? Do they feel our faith and hope as we struggle to address their problems and concerns? How does a caring leader use all their knowledge, skills and feelings to bring about this transformative relationship and healing for self /others? #3: Actively innovate with insight, reflection and wisdom. Innovation – who has time for that? And how do we not have time for it? What will happen if our practice and our environment remains stagnant? How do we identify what must be changed, and then recognize what it really is that we can and cannot change? How do we come to terms with the speed and constancy of our changing world? How can we use multiple ways of knowing and most importantly how can we use our learned knowledge and collective wisdom to allow for an informative, innovative process to arise in a way that is practical and sustainable? #4: Purposely create protected space founded upon mutual respect and caring. What is protected space? How do you create it? Is there any such thing or should there be? What are those critical elements that the environment should provide, the “nutrients” that are required for growth and development of both the human and the “being?” How can we intentionally work together to create a culture that will promote growth and encourage loving-kindness as well as faith and hope? How can we ensure that people feel safe, cared for and cared about? What is it that makes people feel empowered and comfortable taking action that could be risky and daring? #5: Embody an environment of caring-helping-trusting for self and others. What exactly is a caring-helping-trusting environment and how do you create it? And WHY? The fifth and last Core Value takes the concept of the environment one step further…it challenges you to realize that it is what you do with that space that is of the most importance. How you make that space into a caring-helping-trusting environment is really dependent upon you. It is about what you and your colleagues bring into that space that really makes the difference. How is it that you must interact with others in order to truly embody the most favorable environment for self and others?