Best Help for Nurses Comes from Nurse Leaders

"It's empowering, inspiring, with the idea that this is yours to manage," Barber says. "You can be a sheep if you want to or you can emerge as a leader."

Barber suggests that leaders encourage their nurses to listen to the webinars, perhaps even as a group. But if the webinar series accomplishes its goal of empowering its audience, there needs to be a receptive manager at the other end of that message.

Lessons about empowerment will all be for naught if nurses don't feel comfortable speaking up and taking the lead. It's up leaders to put their money where their mouth is and make sure that nurses feel safe enough to suggest changes and raise concerns.

It's up to leaders to make sure that their nurses' efforts don't fall on deaf ears. They should listen, accept suggestions, act on constructive criticism and—especially after reading the above comments—do everything in their power to ensure that nurses won't be afraid of being punished or losing their jobs after speaking up.

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