The nuts & bolts of being a nursing leader. Part 1: Leadership in nursing series

• The role and duties of nurse leaders and nurse managers are distinct. • For leaders to thrive, they must be keenly aware of their role, what potentially can cause them to fail, and the impact one's leadership style can have on nurse, patient, and organization outcomes. • Gaining awareness and reflecting on experiences with leaders, their roles, strengths, weaknesses, and leadership styles, along with examining one's qualities, strengths, leadership style, and experiences, is valuable to your development as a leader. This article is the first in a three-part series on nursing leadership. It begins by providing new, existing, and future nurse leaders and managers a clear understanding of the commonalities that exist and differences between their roles within healthcare. Nurse leaders and managers play a vital role. Their leadership can foster effective communication between nurses, patients, and interdisciplinary teams. Leaders create positive work environments that build effective nursing teams; thereby positively changing outcomes. Implications highlight important role leaders can have on nurses, patients, and healthcare outcomes. By evaluating and gaining insight into effective ways to lead, one can also examine and bring to the forefront the results of ineffective leadership. Awareness builds and positively strengthen the future trajectory of leaders. Effective nurse leaders are critical to the future of healthcare. As nurse leaders and managers enhance their understanding of leadership and effectively apply various leadership styles to practice, positive impacts can ensue within healthcare. Changes benefit the future of nursing and the overall landscape of healthcare and experience for all.