ABSTRACT
To summarise, Michael will need to stay in hospital until it is determined that he is well enough to be discharged. The determining factor is risk; at the time Michelle is making the decision (or you could say leading on the decision), Michael has been diagnosed with ‘severe’ depression and he actively wants to kill himself. Of course Michelle is not making this decision in isolation; she will work within a team, and in essence this is a team decision. However Michelle is still accountable for her own practice and in this situation has to demonstrate the skills of a nursing leader (NMC 2015a). These skills or qualities include (Smith 2014):
• effective self-management; • integrity; • an emphasis on quality; • motivation; • influencing skills; • adaptable and astute; • change agent; • authentic; and • coaching skills.
