ABSTRACT
Leadership in occupational health (OH) nursing is a fundamental requirement if practitioners are to meet the challenges of the changing work environment and ongoing development of professional practice. Leadership is different from management in that it is not process-oriented, but flexible to changing needs of the workplace and the people who come into contact with the activities of OH nurses. It is driven by a long-term vision rather than defined outcomes. Leadership is not defined by a role or title but by action, a clear mission and purpose, supporting behaviours and tangible health improvement. All too often nursing leadership is portrayed negatively with cases in the national media that highlight poor nursing care, including the cases of Beverley Allitt, Mid Staffordshire NHS Hospitals and Winterbourne View Hospital.1 The Boorman Report2 also made some key points about the impact of the health and happiness of nurses on the care they provide to their patients and therefore their leadership effectiveness.
