Royal College of Nursing (2026) Standards to support compassionate practice environments (SCoPE). London: RCN.

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Royal College of Nursing (2025) Nursing at the helm: the strategic contribution of nursing to health and care commissioning. London: RCN.

• View page

Royal College of Nursing (2022) RCN position on clinical supervision.

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Masamha R, Alfred L, Harris R, Bassett S, Burden S and Gilmore A (2022) ‘Barriers to overcoming the barriers’: a scoping review exploring 30 years of clinical supervision literature, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(9), pp. 2678–2692.

• The RCN Forum Chairs Committee and the Forums Governance Group commissioned this review.
  View article

Royal College of Nursing: Leadership skills careers resources.

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RCN Nurses in Management and Leadership Forum.

• Find out about the work of the forum.
  Our work

Royal College of Nursing: International policy.

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Gowar C, Naylor C, Cream J and Chikwira L (2024) Realising the potential of integrated care systems: developing system-wide solutions to workforce challenges. London: The King’s Fund.

• View page

Kapadia D, Zhang J, Salway S, Nazroo J and Booth A (2022) Ethnic inequalities in healthcare: a rapid evidence review. NHS Race and Health Observatory.

• View page

Messenger G and Pollard L (2022) Health and social care review: leadership for a collaborative and inclusive future. Department of Health and Social Care.

• View page

NHS England (2023) Long term workforce plan.

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NHS England (2022) Combatting racial discrimination against minority ethnic nurses, midwives and nursing associates.

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NHS England (2020) NHS people plan.

• View page

NHS England: NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES).

• Includes the latest WRES report, previous reports, and details of phase two.
  View page

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2024) Good leadership means better care.

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Department of Health and Social Care (2025) Fit for the future: 10 year health plan for England (CM 1350).

• View page

NHS Leadership Academy: The healthcare leadership model.

• View page

We would like to thank the RCN Nurses in Management and Leadership member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Broome M (2025) Transformational leadership in nursing: from expert clinician to influential leader. 4th edn. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

• Access through RCN library

Ellis P (2025) Leadership, management and team working in nursing. 5th edn. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN library

Frain A, Murphy S and Frain J (2021) ABC of clinical resilience. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN library

Huston C J and Marquis B L (2024) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application. 11th edn. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

• Access through RCN library

Kotter J (2012) Leading change. 2nd edn. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.

• Access through RCN library

Kouzes J and Posner B (2022) The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. 7th edn. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

• Access through RCN library

Last R and Lillyman S (2024) Reflective leadership in healthcare: a practical guide. London: Routledge.

• Access through RCN library

Patterson K, Grenny J, McMillan R and Switzler A (2022) Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high. 3rd edn. New York: McGraw-Hill.

• Access through RCN library

Stacey G, Westwood G, and Florence Nightingale Foundation (UK) (2023) Leadership development for nurses and midwives. (no place): Elsevier.

• Access through RCN library

Stanley D, Bennett C L and James A H (2023) Clinical leadership in nursing and healthcare. 3rd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN library

Yoder-Wise P (2023) Leading and managing in nursing. 8th edn. St Louis: Elsevier.

• Access through RCN library

Weiss S A, Tappen R M and Grimley K A (2024) Essentials of nursing leadership and management. 8th edn; Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

• Access through RCN library

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Clinical Leadership
• Human resources management
• Nursing leadership
• Policy/politics in nursing and healthcare
• Resilience

Use these links to see details of journal articles on each topic.

• Clinical leadership in nursing
• Nursing leadership
• Staff development

Journals of interest for leadership. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Journal of Nursing Management
• Nursing Management (UK)
• Nursing Management (USA)

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2024) Good leadership means better care webinar.

Simon Sinek: YouTube videos

• Start with why: how great leaders inspire action (2009)
• Trusting teams: the five practices (2019)

NHS Leadership Academy (2017) Professor Michael West: leadership in today’s NHS.

TED Talks

• What makes a great leader? These TED Talks offer surprising, nuanced approaches on how to inspire and empower others to do their very best.
  How to be a great leader
• These TED Talks - from soldiers and psychologists, athletes and entrepreneurs - share hard-won wisdom on leadership.
  Leadership