Principle H
Nurses and nursing staff lead by example, develop themselves and other staff, and influence the way care is given in a manner that is open and responds to individual needs.
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Principle H encompasses themes of leadership contributing to an open and responsive culture.
You may find the following commentary article about Principle H a useful starting point for exploring this Principle. It was published by the Nursing Standard as part of an introductory series on the Principles of Nursing Practice:
McKenzie C, Manley K (2011) Leadership and responsive care: Principles of Nursing Practice H. Nursing Standard 25(35) 4 May pp.35-37 (PDF 94KB) [see how to access PDF files].
Other useful resources are:
- examples of how the Principles are being used
- example measures that can be used to give feedback against each Principle.
A selection of RCN resources which are particularly relevant to principle H
The following resources and services produced by the RCN provide guidance and support to people wishing to use the Principles for quality improvement purposes or their own continuing professional development.
To access some of the Learning Zone content you will be asked to enter your RCN membership number. If you require assistance with entering the Learning Zone, or would like further information on becoming a member of the RCN please contact RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100.
Some of the resources referred to below are in PDF format – see how to access PDF files.
Breaking down barriers, driving up standards: the role of the ward sister and charge nurse (PDF 884.5KB) (2009): a publication based on research which looks at how the role is working across different types of hospital trusts in England. One of the most significant research findings is the difficulty ward sisters/ charge nurses face in developing an appropriate leadership management and supervisory role when they are also expected to nurse a group of allocated patients on every shift. The RCN recommends that all ward sisters become supervisory to shifts 'so that they are enabled to oversee standards of care delivery, the ward environment and be visible to patients, ward staff, doctors and others as the nurse leader in charge of the ward.'
Clinical governance: leadership: one of the themes in the clinical governance online resource this signposts key policies, agencies, guidance and tools which support nurse leaders and the development of leadership skills.
Developing and sustaining effective teams (PDF 663.5KB) (2007): this publication brings together learning from the clinical teams programme and provides a series of guides which are designed to be used by anyone who works in a team and who wishes to improve the ways in which a team operates and develop leadership skills within a team.
Exploring leadership: this Learning Zone area is based on the need for all practitioners within the nursing family whether health care assistant, a student nurse, a newly qualified nurse or an experienced practitioner to achieve their leadership potential. “Leadership is not about being a manager – it’s about doing your job really well, staying motivated and showing initiative”.
Nurses in Management and Leadership Forum: the Nurses in Management and Leadership Forum aims to keep members up-to-date with relevant news and resources. There are also opportunities to share experiences through good practice examples and a dedicated discussion zone.
Leadership: these pages provide an overview of the RCN leadership provision.
Leadership programmes: information about the range of Leadership programmes offered by the RCN encompassing political, strategic and clinical leadership skills. There is also information about the RCN Consultancy Service which can design and develop bespoke programmes.
RCN Executive Nurse Network: the network opened in June 2012. These pages describe the purpose and function of the network, how to join and link to related resources.
This is nursing - leadership work stream: this work stream in the This is nursing initiative covers the four countries of the UK and aims to provide tools for nurses to be excellent leaders, to draw together evidence around leadership in nursing, and explore leadership development possibilities for the future – see also This is nursing.
For further RCN publications see Publications.
RCN e-library: provides a range of resources that RCN members can access for further information. These include full-text journals, databases, e-books and Fast searches which are up-to-date searches on frequently asked selected topics.