Qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of frontline nurses JUNE ANONSON RN, PhD 1 , MARY ELLEN WALKER RN, BSN 2 , EBIN ARRIES RN, PhD 3 , SITHOKOZILE MAPOSA RN, PhD 3 , PATTI TELFORD RN 4 and LOIS BERRY RN, PhD 5 1 Associate Professor, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, 2 Graduate Student, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 3 Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, 4 Nursing Consultant, Deloitte and Touche, Vancouver, British Columbia and 5 Associate Dean, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada Correspondence June Anonson College of Nursing University of Saskatchewan 1301 Central Avenue Prince Albert Saskatchewan Canada S6V 4W1 E-mail: june.anonson@usask.ca ANONSON J., WALKER M.E., ARRIES E., MAPOSA S., TELFORD P. & BERRY L. (2014) Journal of Nursing Management 22, 127–136. Qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of frontline nurses Aim This paper reports on a study that looked at the characteristics of exemplary nurse leaders in times of change from the perspective of frontline nurses. Background Large-scale changes in the health care system and their associated challenges have highlighted the need for strong leadership at the front line. Methods In-depth personal interviews with open-ended questions were the primary means of data collection. The study identified and explored six frontline nurses’ perceptions of the qualities of nursing leaders through qualitative content analysis. This study was validated by results from the current literature. Results The frontline nurses described several common characteristics of exemplary nurse leaders, including: a passion for nursing; a sense of optimism; the ability to form personal connections with their staff; excellent role modelling and mentorship; and the ability to manage crisis while guided by a set of moral principles. All of these characteristics pervade the current literature regarding frontline nurses’ perspectives on nurse leaders. Conclusion This study identified characteristics of nurse leaders that allowed them to effectively assist and support frontline nurses in the clinical setting. Implications for nursing management The findings are of significance to leaders in the health care system and in the nursing profession who are in a position to foster development of leaders to mentor and encourage frontline nurses. Keywords: characteristics, frontline nurses, nursing leadership, organisational development, qualitative descriptive, staff nurses Accepted for publication: 1 March 2013 Qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of frontline nurses Exemplary leadership in nursing is acknowledged as being more critical now than ever. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, leadership plays a crucial role in the lives of registered nurses and is key in ensuring quality client outcomes, especially during times of significant upheaval in health care (Kilty 2005). Research has established that nursing leader- ship is a critical factor in the effective functioning of nursing units, high-quality patient care, retention of DOI: 10.1111/jonm.12092 ª 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 127 Journal of Nursing Management, 2014, 22, 127–136