Abstract
Leadership, whether it is nursing, medical
or healthcare leadership, is about knowing
how to make visions become reality. The
vision that many nurses hold dear to their
hearts is one where patients are treated
with dignity and respect at all times;
where systems are designed for the benefit
of individual needs; and where the work
performed by nurses and other carers is
valued and respected. Achieving such a
vision will require a paradigm shift in the
philosophy, priorities, policies, and power
relationships of the health service. Fundamentally,
it will require the rhetoric of
patient centred care to become a reality.
The following scenario is set in the UK in
the year 2012 and describes a health service
that is on the pathway to achieving this
vision. It tells the story from a nursing
perspective and outlines the three key
foundation stones that helped nursing
achieve the vision of a patient centred
health service: (1) development of patient
centred care measures as part of performance
management and the clinical governance
agenda; (2) leadership based on
personal growth and development principles;
(3) new clinical career and competency
framework for nursing.