Role transitions for new clinical leaders in perinatal practice.

New clinical leaders are transitioning to their roles in a demanding and short-staffed profession where change is constant and finances are uncertain. For successful role transition in the specialty of perinatal nursing, both new leaders and their mentors must understand the attributes of potential leaders, the role of mentoring, and the need for clearly articulated expectations. This article discusses these processes in the context of the considerable skill set required for leadership in nursing today. The similarities and differences between the roles of manager and leader are discussed.