The nurse manager is showcasing a directive leadership style by enforcing a new policy without input from staff. This style contrasts a laissez-faire approach and aligns with a top-down management strategy.
The nurse manager described in this scenario is demonstrating a directive leadership style. Directive leadership is characterized by a unilateral decision-making process and clear expectations set forth by the leader. In contrast to a laissez-faire approach, which is more hands-off, the nurse manager's action of informing the staff about a non-negotiable new policy indicates a top-down management approach. This type of leadership assumes that the leader knows best and does not typically welcome input from subordinates on decisions.
Diabetes educators are trained to equip staff with the latest knowledge in patient care, including the management of diabetes, but the enforcement of policies is indeed a role of the management. In this case, the nurse manager's enforcement of a new policy restricting blood glucose level checking to licensed personnel exemplifies their authoritative position.