Ambulatory Nurse Leadership: Necessary to Drive Innovation and Inspire Transformative Change.

Abstract

This article discusses the role of and need for nursing leadership in ambulatory care spaces. Challenges within health care and increasing complexity of patients exist, regardless of whether a nurse leader works in a traditional hospital setting or outside of that setting. Regardless of setting, nurse leaders want the same things for their patients and staff. The required skill set and characteristics for nurse leaders are the same, just used in a different venue. Traditional hospital nurse leaders must collaborate with nurse leaders in ambulatory to ensure each patient navigates through the continuum with as little disruption as possible. Nurse leaders in ambulatory can offer hospital leaders a fresh perspective on leadership, highlighting the value they bring to the table and how transferrable their skill set is to this setting, given the same support for success that is fundamental in the hospital setting. Strong nurse leadership is critical for driving innovation and inspiring transformative change in ambulatory settings.