Nursing leadership: Soft skills for comprehensive care

Abstract

In the context of the nursing sector in Panama, there is a clear need to strengthen leadership through the development of soft skills to optimize comprehensive patient care. However, the path becomes cumbersome when the praxeological environment does not support this endeavor. Therefore, the general objective is to deepen leadership in nursing with soft skills for comprehensive care in public hospitals in Panama. This documentary research, developed with a qualitative paradigm, includes an exhaustive literature review, analyzing how soft skills can contribute to this purpose. Among the findings from the hermeneutic analysis, empathy, effective communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution in nursing practice, especially in high-stress and high-demand environments, are shown to be key factors. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), along with artificial intelligence, are presented as additional tools in the development of soft skills within nursing programs. However, the study identifies cultural and technological barriers in the implementation of these innovations in education, particularly in the Panamanian context, where limitations in technological infrastructure and resistance to change still persist in some academic and clinical settings. In conclusion, recommendations are made for Panamanian universities to adopt best practices and a patient-centered approach, strengthening the leadership and essential soft skills in nursing to achieve comprehensive and quality care.

Keywords: Leadership, Management, Nursing, Soft skills.