Abstract
This paper is a critique of the article, “Leadership styles of nurse managers in ethical dilemmas: Reasons and consequences,” whose authors are Zydziunaite and Suominen (2014). The authors carried out quantitative research with the purpose of creating comprehension on the reasons and outcomes of leadership styles in ethical dilemmas, which is essential to explore the capacities of nurse managers to control results for patients and nurses. This critique offers objective support for the weaknesses and strengths observed in the article with respect to the statement of purpose, research questions, and literature review.
Introduction
The title of the article is concise and excellently communicates the purpose of the study. The introduction captures the attention of the reader on the importance of the study by affirming the dearth of research concerning the ethical quandaries nurse managers face in medical situations in addition to the connections involving dissimilar leadership approaches and the making of decisions. The article thus sought to decrease the insufficiency of research in this field by shedding light on the nurse manager’s performance (decision-making) via leadership approaches.
Statement of Purpose
For the purpose of the research, the authors emphasize the practical need for the exploration of the research problem. In the explanation of the connections between dissimilar leadership approaches, rationales for their use, and outcomes when nurse managers undertake decision-making in ethical dilemmas, the strength of the statement of purpose lies in its tremendous capturing of the subject matter. As affirmed in the statement of purpose, the authors evidently intended to offer significant understanding via practical use of concrete perceptions. In the examination of the different aspects of embarking on decision-making in ethical dilemmas, the study offers great meaning to nurses, other caregivers, and the health sector at large because even the patients and their relatives will reap the benefits in terms of quality of care.
Research Questions
The article employs two research questions that focus on the reasons related to leadership styles while nurse managers are making decisions in ethical dilemmas and the possible consequences. Nevertheless, the research questions fail to focus on the explanation of the connections involving different leadership approaches, which is part of the statement of purpose.
Literature Review
The article draws on pre-existing studies to create the rationale and argument of the study. The authors appear to have concentrated on a wide-ranging list of studies all through the review of the literature, which strengthens the arguments and explanations given. Under the first section on the literature review, leadership for nurse managers, the authors start by giving the meaning of leadership before proceeding to define ethical dilemmas and explaining the application of decision-making in ethical dilemmas in the subsequent sections. This way, the authors make their study understandable not just by nurses and other caregivers in the health sector, but also laymen like some patients, their relatives, and any other person that reads the article. Nevertheless, the literature review is very short and incomprehensive as it fails to discuss different leadership styles and their application in decision-making in ethical dilemmas by nurse managers.
Conclusion
As evident in this critique, the article is of great significance in the health sector as it ventures in a field that has insufficient studies and its application is of great benefit not just to nurse managers, but the health sector at large. Nonetheless, the article is not without some flaws.
Reference
Zydziunaite, V., & Suominen, T. (2014). Leadership styles of nurse managers in ethical dilemmas: Reasons and consequences. Contemporary nurse, 48(2), 150-167.