Millenium (Sep 2024)
Development of leadership competencies in nursing education through simulated practice: a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study
Abstract
Introduction: Nurses need to learn and develop leadership competencies to play a relevant role in the success of healthcare organizations. Objective: To describe nursing students' perceptions of the development of leadership competencies through simulation training, to analyze their association with nursing students' socio-demographic characteristics, and to identify facilitators and barriers. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study in a sample of 74 undergraduate and postgraduate students attending advanced life support courses at a nursing school in Portugal. Data were collected using an adapted version of the Nursing Leadership Perception Scale (Frederico & Castilho, 2006). Questions were included to explore facilitators and barriers. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Students showed a very positive perception of leadership development through simulation training (overall mean score ≥ 4.42; Likert 1-5) in the dimensions of recognition (M=4.57; SD=0.40), communication (M=4.62; SD=0.41), team development (M=4.54; SD=0.41), innovation (M=4.42; SD=0.55) and team leadership (M=4.49; SD=0.59). Operational planning and critical reflection were identified as the main facilitators of leadership development. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of simulation as a pedagogical strategy for leadership development. The identification of facilitators and barriers contributes to the improvement of simulation.
