Servant Leadership in Palliative Care

by Beth Fahlberg PhD, RN, CHPN and Robert Toomey, EdD, MALeaders are needed in palliative care who can provide the direction for current and future development. We recently wrote an article on Servant Leadership as a model for emerging Nurse leaders, which got us thinking about how Servant Leadership is a model that is also fitting for palliative care. There are many different models of leadership, yet the Servant Leadership model is particularly appropriate for palliative care.Characteristics of servant leaders include: the ability to listen, empathy, healing, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and being skilled at building community.(1,2)We recognize these characteristics in ourselves, and in the leaders who have shaped the field of Palliative Care. And while great strides have been made in advancing palliative care, as the IOM report states, there is much more work to be done “to achieve compassionate, affordable, sustainable, and effective care for all Americans”.(3)These recommendations will not become reality without a concerted effort around palliative care leadership development. As stated in the ELNEC curriculum, “transformational leadership is critical to the development and innovation of palliative care.”(4)Leadership is something that can be learned. It requires time, attention and mentorship. It is best developed when we have a conceptual model to guide us, such as Servant Leadership.What is Servant Leadership?Servant Leadership is a specifi...

Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - October 12, 2016 Category: Palliative Care Tags: fahlberg leadership The profession toomey tweetchat twitter Source Type: blogs