Leadership development: an essential ingredient in supporting nursing unit managers

Abstract

Valerie Wilson,1,2 Sheree Paterson,3 Kelly Kornman1 1Nursing Research and Practice Development Unit, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia; 2Faculty of Nursing Midwifery Health, The University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia; 3Formerly of the Nursing Research and Practice Development Unit, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia Purpose: The aim of the leadership development program was to enhance participants’ understanding of person-centered leadership in the context of their nursing unit manager (NUM) roles. Materials and methods: This article details the results of the NUM leadership development program (LDP). Twenty-one NUMs from an Australian pediatric hospital participated in the 8-month program. The evaluation encompassed a group claims/concerns/issues session, one-on-one interviews, and written feedback. Data were themed using a four-step sequential process. Results: The NUM LDP had a positive impact on the leadership practices of the participants. Six key themes were identified from the evaluation: “forming the group”; “being in the group”; “translating into practice”; “how we see ourselves; how do we want to be seen?”; “positive outcomes for me”; and “positive outcomes for others”. Conclusion: This study showed improvements in the leadership understanding and practice of NUMs who participated in the program. Further research, particularly into the transferability of skills and active participatory aspects of these types of evaluation studies, is required. Keywords: nurse, evaluation, person-centered care, experiential learning