The leadership role and development for the registered nursing associate

A significant factor affecting what happens within the workplace is culture. ‘It's the way we do things round here’ is often how people will describe organisational culture. Warrick (2017) likened culture to precious treasures, saying that culture can be an organisation's greatest treasure (asset) and, therefore, it needs to be cared for and nurtured. The role of a leader and their impact on the organisation's culture is one that is widely acknowledged; if leaders do not attend to their greatest treasure, it can become vulnerable and become the organisation's greatest weakness.

Effective work relationships, and therefore teamwork, are essential to establish an organisational culture where all staff feel valued and where the provision of effective, high-quality and safe person-centred care is the norm.

Understanding the roles and responsibilities of all those within the team is a key factor in enabling effective teamwork and therefore a positive workplace culture. Failure to understand the roles of all those within the team can potentially lead to tension, misconceptions and poor communication, which ultimately negatively impact on both staff experience and the quality of patient care.