SNAP-Shots: Scenes From Nursing Action Plans—The Cultivation of Leadership in Oncology Nursing

Purpose/Objectives: To describe the experiences of oncology nurses who participated in a national workshop to prepare nurses to lead the transformation of cancer care and to illustrate the range of possibilities available to nurses motivated to affect positive change.

Data Sources: Literature on leadership and negotiation are referenced and related to the personal experiences and the observations of participants in the workshop.

Data Synthesis: Leadership is presented in historical context. A case study approach was used to organize the personal accounts of participants’ plans to affect positive organizational change in oncology care settings. Scenes from action plans illustrate how the workshop’s core curriculum, which focuses on leadership models, processes, and skills, was realized in practice.

Conclusions: Leadership is a dynamic process that shapes and is shaped by all stakeholders during the process of planned change. Education, risk taking, and active participation are vital components of the process of leadership development.

Implications for Nursing Practice: The contributions of nurses may be simple or complex and affect single individuals, groups, or institutions. In all cases, oncology nursing practice and cancer care may be enhanced.