Agravante’s

CASAGRA
Transformative
Leadership Model

III. MAIN DISCUSSION

Major Assumptions of the Theory
Theoretical Assertion
Metaparadigm in Nursing
This section is the main bulk of the theory. Contained
within are the theorist’s principles/ main beliefs,
assumptions of the theory. Discuss as well the theorist’s
definition of the metaparadigms in nursing.
IV. Use of Empirical Evidence
Search 1 example of a research study that utilized the
theory/model to explain it. If not available, provide
cases/events where the theorist/theory/model was
engaged/utilized evidencing the
establishment/significance of the theory/model.
Summarize and briefly explain.
V. Analysis
Provide briefly a critique of the theory as to its;
Clarity-
Simplicity- Agravante’s theory can be considered complex
generality,
accessibility –
importance as-
presented by authors or critics of the theory. You may
also provide your own critique.
rvant-leadership qualities to
students. It is an ability
that assists to bring out the
best in students, competence in
nursing skills, commitment
to the nursing profession
and a sense of collegiality
with the school, other health
professionals and the local
community.
Nursing leadership is a factor
that sets the vision for its
practitioners to help them
grow. It lays down roles
and functions to guide them
towards influencing others to
improve the quality of care.
Lastly, it influences the
direction towards which the
profession should go because
it involves a clear vision and
goals to achieve.
Assumptions
Sr. Carolina Agravante’s
model is a Three-Fold
Transformation Leadership
Concept comprises of
servant-leadership spirituality,
self-mastery (care complex),
and
special nursing expertise
(transformative teaching),
which are put together to
help us
mirror the behavior and
personality of the modern
professional nurse who will
challenge
the demands of these critical
times in the society today. The
model shows how servant-
leadership spirituality, self-
mastery (care complex), and
special nursing expertise
(transformative teaching) are
related and affects the
leadership behavior of the
nursing
faculty. This will help to
explain and predict the
continuous formation of
nursing
leadership behavior in the
nursing faculty that will
eventually affect their teaching
roles.
Assumptions
Sr. Carolina Agravante’s
model is a Three-Fold
Transformation Leadership
Concept comprises of
servant-leadership spirituality,
self-mastery (care complex),
and
special nursing expertise
(transformative teaching),
which are put together to
help us
mirror the behavior and
personality of the modern
professional nurse who will
challenge
the demands of these critical
times in the society today. The
model shows how servant-
leadership spirituality, self-
mastery (care complex), and
special nursing expertise
(transformative teaching) are
related and affects the
leadership behavior of the
nursing
faculty. This will help to
explain and predict the
continuous formation of
nursing
leadership behavior in the
nursing faculty that will
eventually affect their teaching
roles.
The complete title of the model is:

The CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Model: Servant – Leader Formula & the Nursing
Faculty’s Transformative Leadership Behavior.
The theory “CASAGRA Transformative Leadership” is a psycho spiritual model. It is coined
after the name of the investigator: Sr. CArolina S. AGRAvante

The CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Model have concepts of leadership from a psycho-spiritual
point of view, designed to lead to radical change from apathy or indifference to a spiritual person.
The model is a Three-Fold Transformation Leadership Concept rolled into one, comprising of
the following elements:
The model shows how servant- leadership spirituality, self-mastery (care complex), and
special nursing expertise (transformative teaching) are related and affects the leadership
behavior of the nursing faculty. This will help to explain and predict the continuous
formation of nursing leadership behavior in the nursing faculty that will eventually affect their
teaching roles.

1. Servant-Leader Spirituality;
2. Self-Mastery expressed in a vibrant care complex;
3. Special Expertise level in the nursing field one is engaged in.
These elements rolled into one make-up the personality of the modern professional nurse
who will challenge the demands of these crucial times in society today.

Assumptions
Sr. Carolina Agravante’s model is a Three-Fold Transformation Leadership Concept comprises
of servant-leadership spirituality, self-mastery (care complex), and special nursing expertise
(transformative teaching), which are put together to help us mirror the behavior and personality
of the modern professional nurse who will challenge the demands of these critical times in the society
today.

1. The Servant-Leadership Spirituality in this paradigm is prescribed to run side by side with the
general components of the transformative leadership model. This formula consists of: a. a spiritual
exercise, b. the resolution of the care complex in the personality of an individual; and c. a seminar-
workshop on transformative teaching. The method used comprises a spiritual retreat that
undergoes the process of awareness, reflection, storytelling, contemplation and finally
commitment to become servant-leaders in the footsteps of Jesus.
2. The Self-Mastery is expressed in care complex variable possessed to a certain degree by an
individual that have been through formal studies in a caregiving profession such as nursing.
Thus, it involves a person’s self-awareness of the nursing faculty.
3. The Special-Expertise level is the enactment of caring and being proactive in face of
challenges for the profession. It is shown in 5C’s of transformational leadership namely:
creative, caring, critical, contemplative and collegial teaching of the nurse faculty who is
directly involved with the formation of the nursing. It is the guide designed to form the new
professional nurses.
Servant-leadership behavior
is the manner of the nursing
faculty manifested
through the ability to model
the servant-leadership
qualities to students. It is an
ability
that assists to bring out the
best in students, competence in
nursing skills, commitment
to the nursing profession
and a sense of collegiality
with the school, other health
professionals and the local
community.
Nursing leadership is a factor
that sets the vision for its
practitioners to help them
grow. It lays down roles
and functions to guide them
towards influencing others to
improve the quality of care.
Lastly, it influences the
direction towards which the
profession should go because
it involves a clear vision and
goals to achieve.
Servant-leadership behavior is the manner of the nursing faculty manifested through the ability
to model the servant-leadership qualities to students. It is an ability that assists to bring out the best
in students, competence in nursing skills, commitment to the nursing profession and a sense of
collegiality with the school, other health professionals and the local community.
Nursing leadership is a factor that sets the vision for its practitioners to help them grow. It lays
down roles and functions to guide them towards influencing others to improve the quality of
care. Lastly, it influences the direction towards which the profession should go because it

The CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Model have concepts of leadership from a

psycho-spiritual point of view, designed to lead to radical change from apathy or indifference
to a spiritual person.
- Servant-leader formula is the enrichment package prepared as intervention for the study
which has three parts that parallel the three concepts of the CASAGRA transformative
leadership model, namely: the care complex primer, a retreat-workshop on Servant-
leadership, and a seminar-workshop on Transformative Teaching for nursing faculty.
- Special expertise is the level of competence in the particular nursing area that the
professional nurse is engaged in workshop is the spiritual exercise organized in an
ambience of prayer where the main theme is the contemplation of Jesus Christ as a Servant-
leader.
level is shown in a creative, caring, critical, contemplative and collegial teaching of
the nurse faculty who is directly involved with the formation of the nursing.

- Servant-leadership behavior refers to the perceived behavior of nursing faculty manifested

through the ability to model the servant leadership qualitiesto students, ability to bring out
the best in students, competence in nursing skills, commitment to the nursing profession,
and sense of collegiality with the school, other health professionals, and local community.
The servant-leader formula prescription includes a spiritual retreat that goes through
the process of awareness, contemplation, story telling, reflection, and finally
commitment to become servant-leaders in the footsteps of Jesus.

- Nursing leadership is the force within the nursing profession that sets the vision for its
practitioners, lays down the roles and functions, and influences the direction toward which
the profession should go.
- Transformative teaching may also be termed Reflective teaching, an umbrella term
covering ideas, such as thoughtful instruction, teacher research, teacher narrative, and
teacher empowerment.
- Care complex is the nucleus of care experiences in the personality of a nurse formed by a
combination of maternal care experiences, culture based-care practices indigenous to a race
and people, and the professional training on care acquired in a formal course of nursing.

involves a clear vision and goals to achieve.

The CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Theory is classified as a Practice Theory basing
on the characteristics of a Practice Theory stated by McEwen (2007), which are the
following:
a. Complexity / Abstractness, Scope - Focuses on a narrow view of reality, simple and
straightforward;
b. Generalizibility /Specificity - Linked to a special populations or an identified field of
practice;
c. Characteristic of Scope – Single, concrete concept that is operationalized;
d. Characteristic of Proposition – Propositions defined;
e. Testability – Goals or outcomes defined and testable;

f. Source of Development – Derived from practice or deduced from middle range theory or
grand theory.

Metaparadigm in Nursing
Person
The theory was suited to our nursing faculty’s ability to lead and educate new nurses. People is
not clearly stated in the theory but the “client” was included in the care complex theory of
Agravante. It simply denotes that the caring behavior learned by the new nurses from their
nursing educators will clearly affect the state of being of their clients or patients in the future.
ENVIRONMENT
The type of leadership in nursing need to cope up with this changing world. Be it in the
technology updates (the machines we use for everyday lives), the changes in physical
surroundings (building of different infrastructures), and our setting (the situation we are in such
as the pandemic we are facing right now, COVID-19). The theory was made for the nursing
faculty to strengthen its foundation and take on responsibilities in line with the situation we
are experiencing.
HEALTH
Based on Agravante’s model, health, degree of wellness, or well- being is abstractly discussed
but it was the aim (to improve practice by positively influence the health and quality of life of
patients) why the nursing faculty want to educate and lead new nurses with caring behavior.

NURSING
“Focus on the type of leadership in nursing that can challenge the values of the changing
world.” was a quote from the theorist herself. It was clearly stated that the CASAGRA Model was
for the transformative leadership development of a nursing faculty. The attributes of a nursing
leader should be competent with a dream of what nursing can be and an individual whose aim is
to provide care and service to those who are competent in nursing. The utmost goal of nursing
theories is to improve patient care and this theory is highly significant up to the present
day. Worldwide leadership crises demanded the nursing educators and leaders to revisit their
basic responsibility of educating and forming our future nursing leaders who are responsive
to technological, educational and social changes happening in the environment we live in. In
short, since nursing, as a profession is ever- changing, new nurses need nursing
teachers/leaders who are the embodiment of the three-fold transformative leadership concept
(servant-leadership, self-mastery, and special nursing expertise) to look up to.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

STRENGTHS
- It provided the task of the formation of the nurse leaders at the baccalaureate level so that
the profession assured the graduates possess the mind and heart of a nursing leader who is
of the nursing profession.
- It can also be use in other educational settings not just on nursing profession.
WEAKNESSES/LIMITATIONS
- CASAGRA transformative leadership limits only on Roman Catholic and Christians nursing
educators; it did not consider other religion to this study. In the Philippines we have a variety
of religion present. Every religion has its own traditions and practices to be considered.
- According to the study, the control and study groups were selected from the same faculty in
the two schools, it is highly possible that experience could have been discussed casually in
faculty room and in some way must contaminated the intervention.

THEORY APPLICATION TO NURSING PRACTICE, EDUCATION AND RESEARH

IMPLICATIONS TO NURSING
PRACTICE
As nurses practicing in the field, it is very common for nurses to take on different
roles. One of the common roles taken by the nurse practitioner is the leadership role
which is one of the topics discussed in the CASAGRA Transformative Leadership
Model by Sr. Carolina S. Agravante. In our shifts, it is important that one of the
nurses will take on the lead, in our institution, it is the charge nurse who takes on this
role. The charge nurse will serve as the captain of the ship, so it is vital that he or
she take on the job with outmost care and compassion. While the charge nurse
mainly serves leadership functions, there are times that they also become educators,
especially to young nurses who are just starting their careers. The servant-leader
formula can be a useful tool to charge nurses as this will enable them to become
leaders and educators while following the footsteps of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Shifts
are unpredictable; it can be easy in the early hours but they can become toxic as the
hours progress. It is important for the charge nurse to keep his vibrant care complex
in check, aspiring other nurses to lead and serving the others to lead selflessly just
like the way Jesus did.

IMPLICATIONS TO NURSING
EDUCATION
The idea of servant-leadership spirituality was first mentioned by Agravante in her Theory of
Transformative Leadership Model. This idea can be applied by nurse educators by being
enthusiastic about what they do. Additionally, they can demonstrate a willingness to
selflessly share the knowledge they have learned with their coworkers and students. These
educators consider new nursing trends by first participating in a variety of workshops, putting
evidence-based practices into practice through patient simulation, and then spreading it to
the intended learning audience.
This concept was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, and in the later years, Larry S. Spears
added that in order to accomplish this concept, a servant leader should have the following
important characteristics:

1. Listening
2. Empathy
3. Healing
4. Awareness
5. Persuasion
6. Conceptualization
7. Foresight
8. Stewardship
9. Commitment to the growth of people
10. Building community

These characteristics including Agravante's theory emulate how committed a servant

leaders are to their passion. Furthermore, this also shows their eagerness to strengthen the
personal and professional well- being of their students and colleagues. As a result, servant
leaders motivate their staff to bring out the best in them.

Moving forward, Agravante introduced her second concept which is "The Self- Mastery." In
spite of our world's empirical culture wherein newly accepted norms that focus on the
external rather the internal or mental thought process, people tend to have a direct reaction
and an emotional response. This theory aims to promote self- discovery by knowing
strengths and weakness as well as to practice controlling internal thought processes that will
eventually influence emotions, ideas and behaviors. In the academe, knowing one's
strengths and weak points can help in becoming a better individual and professional
resulting to an effective teaching on students and staff.
Lastly, Agravante introduced the concept of The Special Expertise which states that it is the
level of competence of a professional nurse in the particular nursing area is engaged into. In
other words, professionals should be aware on what area they are expert at. In nursing
education, the preceptorship program is essential for learning of novice nurses in the unit.
The preceptors must educate newly hired nurses through hands -on experience, and
evidence-based practice as well as the demonstration of personal values and character
needed n the specific unit. In addition, expectations and other activities are subsequently
done in the said unit.

IMPLICATIONS TO NURSING
RESEARCH
Like other aspects of nursing, nursing research has been influenced by recent and
progressive changes in the health care system. The CASAGRA Theory is one of these game
changers. Sr. Agravante's theory of Transformational Leadership Theory is focused primarily
on the educational and psycho-spiritual aspect of nursing. We believe that Sr. Agravante
emphasized the need for nursing faculty specially trained to develop holistic nurses who will
become leaders in health service. There were no citations about its use in research but her
approach to the development of the theory can be modified to include nurses with different
religion and employ nursing educators from a wider variety of schools to attain practicability.

V. ANALYSIS
 (Practicability) This model is significant for the nurse educators.
 (Generalizability) Nursing students will be assured of similar leadership formation
that will be provided to them by the nursing educators who advocated the model.
 (Simplicity)Agravante's theory can be considered complex.
 (Empirical Precision)The study population consisted of 30 nursing faculty divided
into control and study group randomly selected to participate.

USEFULNESS (PRACTICABILTY)
It is significant to the nurse educators. It will help them to achieve the vision-mission as
anetwork of innovative, competent empowered educators towards excellence in national
andglobal development. The theory could be the answer in the modern-world challenges
innursing education that is centered on the teaching of Jesus, a paradigm of peace.
GENERALIZABILITY AND PARSIMONY-Nursing students will be assured of similar
leadership formation that will be provided to them by the nursing educators who advocated
the CASAGRA Transformative Leadership model. It will give them the confidence they need
to face the challenges in the profession.-Transformative teachers are basically who looks into
herself, sees her assumptions andfeelings in the light of the nursing profession in the modern
days, how her own philosophy of
life affects professional life with her students
SIMPLICITY- Agravante’s theory does not possess simplicity because the study group has
to undergo seminar and retreats which somehow give hassles to them.- The theory is
designed to transform a servant leader which Agravante possesses Jesus as asample
EMPIRICAL PRECISION-The study was conducted to determine the effects of the
CASAGRA transformative leadership model for nursing faculty on the servant leadership
behavior of the nursing faculty. The quasi-experimental two-group pre-test post-test design
was utilized in the study. The study population consisted of 30 nursing faculty , divided into
control and study group randomlyselected to participate in the Servant-leader formula for
nursing faculty.

Conclusion

Sister Carolina Agravante’s CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Theory focuses on

the Three-Fold Transformative Leadership Concept namely,

1) Servant-Leader Spirituality, wherein a leader, through spiritual exercise, realizes that his
model in caring for individual is Jesus;
2) Self-Mastery, which involves individual’s self-awareness through formal education in
nursing, a continuous education, seminars attended and his involvement in organizations;
and lastly,
3) Special Expertise, which draws emphasis in the nurse faculty’s involvement in the
formation of his students.

Indeed, Sr. Carolina’s CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Theory is timely in this ever
fast-paced world. Nursing as a profession is inevitably changing and the demand to be at par
with technology made it more competitive. Nursing students need nursing teachers to look
up to. Embodied with these three concepts, it is timely to put this theory into practice.

APPLICATION TO NURSING
This theory is suitable for nursing educators, particularly those who are administrators in the
educational setting (Magallanes, 2009). In the academic discipline, this model of Agravante is a
powerful tool in achieving an organization’s vision and mission as it aims to develop a network of
innovative, competent and empowered educators towards excellence and nation-building.
For nursing faculty, they can apply Agravante’s first concept of servant- leadership by being
passionate about their craft. The willingness to share their acquired knowledge through experiences
with their student is one of the ways. Also, before they impart knowledge to others, they did go
through different workshops regarding new trends in nursing and applying evidence-based practices
through patient simulation. For the second concept which is self-mastery, promoting self-
discovery by knowing the strengths and weakness as well as to practice controlling internal
thought processes that will eventually influence emotions, ideas and behaviors will help the nursing
faculty in becoming a better individual and professional resulting in effective teaching and
leadership on his/her students and staff. Lastly, special expertise, professionals should be aware of
what area they are expert at. In the academe, the preceptorship program is beneficial for learning of
beginner nurses in the unit. Due to this, the preceptors should educate newly hired nurses through
hands-on experience and evidenced-based practice together with the demonstration of personal
values and character needed in the specific unit.
Propositions
CASAGRATransformativeLeadership is a psycho-spiritualmodel, was an effective means
for faculty to becomebetterteachers and servant-leaders.-Care complex is a structure in the
personality of the caregiver thatis significantly related to the leadership behavior.-
TheCASAGRAservant-leadership formula is an effectivemodality in enhancing the
nursing faculty’s servant-leadershipbehavior.-Vitality of Care Complex of the nursing faculty is
directly related toleadership behavior.
Concepts-
The CASAGRA Transformative Leadership Model haveconcepts of leadership from a psycho-
spiritual point of view,designed to lead to radical change from apathy orindifference to a
spiritual person.-Servant-leader formula is the enrichment package preparedas intervention for the
study which has three parts that parallel the three concepts of theCASAGRA
transformativeleadership model, namely: the care complex primer, aretreat-workshop on
Servant-leadership, and a seminar-workshop on Transformative Teaching for nursing faculty.-
Special expertise is the level of competence in the particularnursing area that the professional
nurse is engagedinworkshop is the spiritual exercise organized in anambience of prayer
where the main theme is thecontemplation of Jesus Christ as a Servant-leader.-Servant-
leadership behavior refers to the perceived behaviorof nursing faculty manifested through the ability
to model theservant leadershipqualitiestostudents, ability to bring outthe best in students,
competence in nursing skills,commitment to the nursing profession, and sense
ofcollegiality with the school, other health professionals, andlocal community.-Nursing
leadership is the force within the nursing professionthat sets the vision for its practitioners, lays down
the rolesand functions, and influences the direction toward which theprofession should go.-
Transformative teaching may also be termed Reflectiveteaching, an umbrella term
covering ideas, such asthoughtful instruction, teacher research, teacher narrative,and teacher
empowerment.-Care complex is the nucleus of care experiences in thepersonality of a
nurse formed by a combination of maternalcare experiences, culture based-care practices indigenous
toa race and people, and the professional training on careacquired in a formal course of
nursing