Advisor
Wilson, Vicki L.
Committee Member
Leners, Debra W.
Committee Member
Gray, Dianna P.
Committee Member
Schofer, Karna K.
Department
Nursing
Institution
University of Northern Colorado
Type of Resources
Text
Place of Publication
Greeley (Colo.)
Publisher
University of Northern Colorado
Date Created
12-1-2010
Genre
Thesis
Extent
209 pages
Digital Origin
Born digital
Description
Nursing leadership is critical to the provision of affordable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare, yet there exists a shortage of front-line nurse managers who are well-prepared to provide leadership in the complex and rapidly changing context of healthcare. The purposes of this national study were to describe and compare current practices in leadership development for front-line nurse mangers in Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals in the United States, and to explore the influence of hospital characteristics on leadership development practices. Data were gathered via a web-based survey designed by the author and publicly accessible websites. The results suggest leadership development is heavily focused on unit-level managerial skills, although actual leadership content is usually well-aligned with the concept of transformational leadership in both Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. Leadership development rarely addresses the personal and professional development needs of the nurse manager. Pedagogical practices used in leadership development programs do not always offer the necessary balance of assessment, challenge, and support, nor is it common for these practices to be used with intentionality to facilitate leadership development. Leadership development often occurs outside the context of the nurse managers' work. Program evaluation commonly involves Reaction/Planned Response evaluation. Evaluation of Learning and Behavior Change is relatively rare, precluding meaningful attribution of tracked Business Results to the nurse manager or the leadership development program. Compared to non-Magnet hospitals, leadership development in Magnet hospitals is better aligned with transformational leadership, and more commonly includes evidence-based pedagogical practices and elements of a comprehensive program evaluation. Leadership development content is most influenced by having a leadership development specialist with experience in organizational development. Pedagogical practices are most influenced by Magnet designation. Evaluation methods are influenced by Magnet status, urban location, affiliation with a hospital system, and designation as a teaching hospital.
Notes
[Released from 1-year embargo]
Degree type
PhD
Degree Name
Doctoral
Language
English
Local Identifiers
Lyman_unco_0161D_10054.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by author.
