Transformational leadership in rural health care

Background: The need for nursing leaders in rural health care is critical as the nursing workforce adjusts to: severe shortages, growing health disparities, increasing globalization, widespread need for disaster preparedness, and continued shrinking of the healthcare budget. This presentation reports on an advanced nursing education grant preparing leaders in public health nursing, health systems management, and psychiatric mental health nursing with expertise in rural health care to address preventable health problems, improve functioning for those with chronic illness, and to meet the needs of disadvantaged rural populations. Description: Transformational leaders have a clear vision and exert influence as role models who are willing to take risks and are responsive to the needs of the community. Our model for transformational leadership was expanded to address rural healthcare systems in the context of rural population and community characteristics. By recruiting students who are practicing in rural areas and by delivering essential curriculum components electronically, the program promotes education and retention of healthcare resources in rural places. Lessons Learned: It is important to infuse MSN and DNP curriculum with transformational leadership principles, strengthen existing distance-based education modalities, and emphasize rural healthcare concepts. MSN and DNP graduates empowered with transformational skills are prepared to assume leadership in rural communities and to become change agents, influencing the nursing workforce, other disciplines, and communities. Recommendations: Our goal is consistent with the recent report on the future of nursing, which addresses the compelling need for well-trained nursing leaders who practice at the highest level of their education.