Nursing Administration Degree as the Foundation of Practice for Future Nurse Managers

Do Nurse Managers Feel Competent in the Financial and Business Aspects of Their Roles?: Exploring Self-perceptions

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of 3 variables on unit-based nurse managers' self-perception of business and financial competence in patient care: 1) educational degree; 2) participation in leadership development continuing education; and 3) prior nursing management experience.

BACKGROUND

Nurse managers must develop business acumen to support patient care and the nurses who provide care. Successful managers must become fluent in the language of finance and must understand how to use it. Their ability to promote continuous quality improvement (QI) in a cost-effective, resource-conscious manner is the foundation of economic viability.

METHODS

A feasibility study was conducted using Facebook to recruit nurse managers nationally and to distribute an electronic survey designed to assess the unit-based managers' self-perceptions of business and financial competence in patient care.

RESULTS

The strongest predictors of self-perceived business and financial competence were continuing education and MSN degree. Years of experience in a leadership role did not predict self-reported levels of business or financial competence in patient care.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that nursing leadership competency in the area of finance is developed through continuing education. Healthcare organizations should implement comprehensive nursing leadership mentoring and orientation programs for nurse managers to improve their self-perceptions of business and financial competencies.

Competence-based performance evaluation in hospital nurses

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the frequencies attributed to the professional competences of hospital nurses, discussing the ones that obtained higher and lower frequencies.

METHOD

descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study with 45 nurses of a hospital of high complexity in the interior of São Paulo state. The study used the Competences Evaluation Questionnaire, translated and validated in Brazil, composed of 27 items in five domains: professionalism, communication, management, nursing process and problem solving. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

it was found that 80% of the participants were female and 20% were male. The age ranged between 25 and 63 years, with an average of 40.02 years, and the average length of professional experience was 13.39 years. The competences "Communication with the hospital's administrative staff" and "Participation in scientific research and / or application of results" had the lowest frequencies, while "Commitment to punctuality and workload" and "Commitment to the ethical principles of the profession" were evaluated with the highest frequencies.

CONCLUSION

evaluating the performance by competences becomes essential for managers and training centers, since it contributes to the identification of gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes of professionals, by promoting the elaboration and implementation of strategies for their development.

Psychometric Properties of the Authentic Leadership Inventory in the Nursing Profession

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A valid and reliable Authentic Leadership (AL) measurement instrument is paramount as nursing leadership research grows. The purpose of this study was to analyze the reliability and construct validity of the Authentic Leadership Inventory (ALI) among nurses.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional, prospective design that explored the relationship between registered nurses' (RNs) perceptions of AL qualities in nurse managers in a random sample of RNs working in an acute care setting.

RESULTS

A Cronbach α 0.96 confirmed reliability. Exploratory factor analysis determined a one-factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis utilized the one-factor structure for a final best-fit model (χ² = 107.3, df = 70, p = .003; TLI = 0.95, CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

This study gives support to using the ALI with the nursing profession.