Nurse Leader Leadership does not always come with a title or prestige. Every nurse has qualities within them that make them a great leader. Leadership by definition “is a combination of intrinsic personality traits, learned leadership skills and situational characteristics (Cherry & Jacob (2013 p. 335). A leader is one who has the ability and skills to direct or encourage others in efforts to achieve a result. I recently completed a self-assessment on my perceived leadership skills. I am almost 48 years old and have had the. honor of being a registered nurse for over 26 years. I have had the privilege of working in a variety of roles in a medical unit, medical respiratory intensive care unit, quality coordinator, stroke coordinator of quality improvement for my state I found that I scored quite high in the four content areas I assessed. Upon reflection, I believe the leader within me has developed with age, experiences, and luck working with many excellent healthcare professionals and mentors. Personal and professional responsibility The first area assessed was that of personal and professional responsibility. Considering all of this, I have made great strides in the areas of personal growth and development, involvement in professional associations, and ethical behavior and practice. The final element of personal and professional responsibility will be my focus in 2014. I plan to study to become a Certified Healthcare Quality Professional (CPHQ). This certificate… halfway through the paper… and the quality scenarios I was exposed to and learned from. I am aware of my weaknesses and will continue to focus on these as I am always looking for opportunities to continue my professional growth. Works CitedCherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2013). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, and management (6th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. ISBN-13: 9780323101097 (Available as an eBook) National Association for Healthcare Quality. (n.d.). Cphq certification. Retrieved from http://www.nahq.org/certify/content/index.htmlNurse Manager Leadership Partnership. (2008). Competence inventory of nursing managers. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.org/wd/practice/docs/nurse-manager-inventory-tool.pdf?menu=practice - 2012-04-19Productivity Healthcare Solutions. (2013). Lean healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.productivityinc.com/operative-excellence/lean-healthcare/