Mullally (2001) suggested that effective nursing
leadership is central to the success of the ‘NHS
Plan’ (Department of Health (DH), 2000).
Therefore, if nurses are to make a profound
contribution and support the Government’s change agenda
with, ‘a new breed of clinical leaders’ (DH, 1999 p52), then
understanding clinical leadership should be central to the goals
of the nursing profession. Gaining an understanding of clinical
leadership is also pivotal in recognizing who the clinical
leaders are and to further explore the values associated with
bedside, clinical care. The term ‘clinical leadership’, although
recognizable in nursing and allied health literature, has rarely
been the subject of detailed study. This article addresses the
questions: ‘what is clinical leadership?’ and ‘how is clinical
leadership defined?’
What is clinical leadership?
There is a plethora of literature that addresses the topi