Application: Taking a Stand Effective leaders have a high degree of self-awareness and know how to leverage their strengths in the workplace. Assessments are a valuable tool that professionals can use to learn more about themselves and consider how their temperament and preferences influence their interactions with others. As you engage in this learning process, it is important to remember that everyone—regardless of temperament type or related preferences—experiences some challenges with regard to leadership. The key to success is being able to recognize and leverage your own strengths while honoring differences among your colleagues. At some point in your leadership career, you will encounter an ethical or moral dilemma that requires you to take a stand and defend your position. For this Assignment, you evaluate an issue and consider how you could act as a moral agent or advocate, facilitating the resolution of the issue for a positive outcome. To prepare: Consider the examples of leadership demonstrated in this week’s media presentation and the other Learning Resources. To further your self-knowledge, you are required to complete the Kiersey Temperament as indicated in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider your leadership style, including your strengths for leading others and include your results from Kiersey Temperament Sorter to describe potential challenges related to your leadership style. Mentally survey your work environment, or one with which you are familiar, and identify a timely issue/dilemma that requires you to perform the leadership role of moral agent or advocate to improve a situation (e.g., speaking or acting on behalf of a vulnerable patient, the need for appropriate staffing, a colleague being treated unfairly). What ethical, moral, or legal skills, dispositions, and/or strategies would help you resolve this dilemma? Define the differences between ethical, moral, and legal leadership. Finally, consider the values and principles that guide the nursing profession; the organization’s mission, vision, and values; the leadership and management competencies addressed in this course; and your own values and reasons for entering the profession. What motivation do you see for taking a stand on an important issue even when it is difficult to do so? To complete: Write a 4 to 5 page paper (page count does not include title and reference page) that addresses the following: 1) Introduce the conceptual frameworks of the ethical constructs of ethics, moral, or legal standards and the purpose of the paper. 1) Consider  an ethical, moral, or legal dilemma that you have encountered in your work environment and describe it. 2) Analyze the moral, ethical, and legal implications utilized in this situation. Describe your role as a moral agent or advocate for this specific issue. 3) Consider your leadership styles identified by your self-assessment and determine if they act as a barrier or facilitation during this dilemma.  R.

1. Application: Taking a Stand
Effective leaders have a high degree of self-awareness and
know how to leverage their strengths in the workplace.
Assessments are a valuable tool that professionals can use
to learn more about themselves and consider how their
temperament and preferences influence their interactions with
others.
As you engage in this learning process, it is important to
remember that everyone—regardless of temperament type or
related preferences—experiences some challenges with regard
to leadership. The key to success is being able to recognize and
leverage your own strengths while honoring differences among
your colleagues.
At some point in your leadership career, you will encounter an
ethical or moral dilemma that requires you to take a stand and
defend your position.
For this Assignment, you evaluate an issue and consider how
you could act as a moral agent or advocate, facilitating the
resolution of the issue for a positive outcome.
To prepare:
Consider the examples of leadership demonstrated in this
week’s media presentation and the other Learning Resources.
To further your self-knowledge, you are required to complete
the Kiersey Temperament as indicated in this week’s Learning
Resources. Consider your leadership style, including your
strengths for leading others and include your results from
Kiersey Temperament Sorter to describe potential challenges
related to your leadership style.

2. Mentally survey your work environment, or one with which you
are familiar, and identify a timely issue/dilemma that requires
you to perform the leadership role of moral agent or advocate to
improve a situation (e.g., speaking or acting on behalf of a
vulnerable patient, the need for appropriate staffing, a colleague
being treated unfairly).
What ethical, moral, or legal skills, dispositions, and/or
strategies would help you resolve this dilemma? Define the
differences between
ethical, moral, and legal leadership.
Finally, consider the values and principles that guide the
nursing profession; the organization’s mission, vision, and
values; the leadership and management competencies addressed
in this course; and your own values and reasons for entering the
profession. What motivation do you see for taking a stand on an
important issue even when it is difficult to do so?
To complete:
Write a 4 to 5 page paper (page count does not include title and
reference page) that addresses the following:
1) Introduce the conceptual frameworks of the ethical constructs
of ethics, moral, or legal standards and the purpose of the paper.
1) Consider an ethical, moral, or legal dilemma that you have
encountered in your work environment and describe it.
2) Analyze the moral, ethical, and legal implications utilized in
this situation. Describe your role as a moral agent or advocate
for this specific issue.
3) Consider your leadership styles identified by your self-
assessment and determine if they act as a barrier or facilitation
during this dilemma.
Required Resources
Readings

3. Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015).
Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory
and application
(8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Chapter 4, “Ethical Issues”
This chapter examines ethical frameworks for decision making
and principles of ethical reasoning. You are also introduced to
the ANA Code of Ethics and Professional Standards, MORAL
decision-making model, and ethics committees.
Chapter 5, “Legal and Legislative Issues”
Chapter 5 provides an overview of the many legal and
legislative issues of which leaders and managers need to be
aware. As you read this chapter, keep these issues in mind.
Chapter 6, “Patient, Subordinate, and Professional Advocacy”
Nurses are the best advocates for patients and the profession.
This chapter examines more closely the role of becoming an
advocate, patient rights, subordinate advocacy, whistle-blowing,
professional advocacy, advocacy in legislation and public
policy, and media.
Cianci, A. M., Hannah, S. T., Roberts, R. P., & Tsakumis, G. T.
(2014). The effects of authentic leadership on followers' ethical
decision-making in the face of temptation: An experimental
study.
The Leadership Quarterly
,
25
(3), 581-594. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.12.001
Abstract excerpt: The present research investigates the impact
of authentic leadership on followers' morality, operationalized
as ethical decision-making, in the face of temptation. This
experiment finds that authentic leadership and temptation
interacted to affect individuals' ethical decision-making.

4. Specifically, authentic leadership significantly inhibited
individuals' from making unethical decisions in the face of
temptation, whereas followers of neutral or less authentic
leaders were more likely to succumb to temptation..
Disch, J. (2014). Using Evidence-Based Advocacy to Improve
the Nation's Health.
Nurse Leader
,
12
(4), 28-31. doi:10.1016/j.mnl.2014.05.003
Abstract excerpt: Evidence-based practice is 1 of the 5
competencies that the Institute of Medicine has identified for all
health professionals. Its intent is to employ evidence-based
practice and integrate best research results, clinical expertise,
and patient values to make patient care decisions. This article
will explore the concept of evidence-based advocacy and
describe ways in which one prominent nursing organization, the
American Academy of Nursing, uses evidence-based advocacy
to positively impact the nation's health and advance the nursing
profession
Martin, M. B. (2014). Transcultural Advocacy and Policy in the
Workplace: Implications for Nurses in Professional
Development.
Journal for nurses in professional development
,
30
(1), 29-33. doi: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000027
Abstract: This article introduces the role of nursing
professional development specialists in serving as a resource for
both patient and staff advocacy regarding cultural and linguistic
matters. The impact of changing demographics, support for civil
rights, and established policy related to culture and linguistics
is emphasized. An overview of policy at local, state, and
national levels is suggested to promote nursing professional

5. development in the interest of culturally and linguistically
compliant nursing practice.
Woods, M. (2014). Beyond moral distress preserving the ethical
integrity of nurses.
Nursing Ethics
,
21
(2), 127-128.
This guest editorial discusses the difficulties involved in
dealing with those sometimes-painful moral problems
encountered in practice.
Media
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012a).
Ethical, moral, and legal leadership.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes.
In this week’s media presentation, expert Terry Buttaro discuss
how today’s health care organizations can capitalize on the
strengths of nurse leaders to plan for and navigate change
effectively.