ABSTRACT
Nurses need to acquire new leadership skills to meet the demands of their positions. Until recently, the healthcare industry has focused on continuing education to meet licensure requirements and to achieve advanced clinical certifications. Given increasingly complex leadership challenges, we are seeing the emergence of leadership development programs designed to enhance leadership effectiveness in the service of broader strategic objectives. By learning more about these opportunities, nurse executives can make better decisions for themselves and other nursing colleagues.
Subject(s)
Education, Nursing, Continuing , Leadership , Nurse Administrators/education , Nursing, Supervisory , Staff Development , Clinical Competence , Data Collection , Humans , Job Satisfaction , Nursing Administration Research , Program EvaluationABSTRACT
Implementation of innovative patient care delivery models provides an opportunity to examine how effective nurse leaders are leading change in the healthcare system. The trends and pressures that make change imperative, not optional, are discussed in other articles in this issue. The focus of this article is on how chief nursing officers improve patient safety and increase care quality while managing the complexities of the nursing workforce and controlling costs. The authors examine the leader's role in the change process, in particular, the role of nursing leaders. The care delivery model is considered an instrument for change, and the chief nursing officer is a change agent.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration , Models, Nursing , Models, Organizational , Nurse Administrators/organization & administration , Nurse's Role , Attitude of Health Personnel , Communication , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services Needs and Demand , Health Services Research , Humans , Interinstitutional Relations , Interprofessional Relations , Leadership , Nurse Administrators/psychology , Nursing Administration Research , Organizational Innovation , Planning Techniques , Program Development , Safety Management/organization & administration , Social Support , Total Quality Management/organization & administrationABSTRACT
This article is the third in a 3-part series describing the RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles who aspire to help lead and shape the US healthcare system of the future. Part 1 (October 2005) described the program, its core leadership competencies, and the primary components. Part 2 (December 2005) discussed the mentor experience that is a cornerstone of the 3-year fellowship program. Fellows are encouraged to have this experience with senior level executives outside healthcare to broaden their leadership perspectives. Part 3 explains the requirement that fellows create a business plan for their leadership project to develop the skills needed to present a strong business case for a new venture or program.
Subject(s)
Fellowships and Scholarships , Financial Management , Leadership , Nurse Administrators/education , Curriculum , Humans , United StatesABSTRACT
This article is the second in a 3-part series describing the RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles who aspire to help lead and shape the US healthcare system of the future. Part 1 (October 2005) described the program, its core leadership competencies, and the primary components. This article discusses the mentor experience that is a cornerstone of the 3-year fellowship program. Fellows are encouraged to have this experience with senior-level executives outside of healthcare in order to broaden their leadership perspectives. Examples of these mentor experiences are described from the viewpoints of both fellows and mentors, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Part 3 (February 2006) will explain how fellows are required to create a business plan for their leadership project because it is so important for nurse leaders to offer a strong business case for proceeding with anew initiative, service, or program.