Nursing's Wicked Problems: Partnering With Academic Leadership to Develop Solutions

Academic leadership in nursing: A concept analysis

BACKGROUND

Research on improving academic leadership in nursing is paramount to increase new faculty support, improve retention, and ensure a high academic standard for the next generation of nurses. However, an operational definition of academic leadership in nursing is missing from the literature and a common language is needed to cohere research.

AIM

This study aimed to analyze the concept of academic leadership in nursing to inform future research on the factors that affect nursing faculty career development, job satisfaction, and retention.

METHODS

A concept analysis using Walker and Avant's eight-step method.

DATA SOURCES

Five databases were searched (CINAHL, PubMed, OVID Emcare, ERIC, and Google Scholar), with 16 articles identified for analysis. The term "academic leadership" was used in a title search with "nursing" as a keyword.

RESULTS

Three main attributes were found: administrator, mentor, and nurse. The consequences of academic leadership in nursing are improved work environments, increased job satisfaction, and decreased faculty turnover. Capabilities essential for academic leaders in nursing include vision, risk-taking, excellent communication, mentoring, succession planning, advocacy, and education.

CONCLUSION

An academic leader in nursing is a transformational leader who encourages, empowers, and motivates team members to grow, develop and thrive.

Assessing the country-level involvement of nurses in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

As each country individually manages the COVID-19 pandemic, mass vaccination campaigns have varied considerably. Implementation campaigns often depend on nurses; however, nurses are not consistently involved in higher-level planning, prioritization, and policy development decisions. This study aimed to examine the involvement and engagement of nurses in country-level COVID-19 mass vaccination policies and practices in 10 Office of Economic Cooperation and Development countries, identify barriers and factors to enhancing the engagement of nurses in the evidence-informed mass vaccination decision-making processes, and suggest areas for improvement.

METHODS

A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted as a follow-up study to an International Council of Nurses survey. The study sample included a purposeful sample of 14 country-representative nurses from 10 Office of Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Interview questions focused on each country's overall COVID-19 vaccination campaign and policies, participants' perspectives regarding the involvement of nurses in the planning, design, and implementation of the mass vaccination program observed outcomes, and the impact of nursing on the outcomes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated where necessary, coded, and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Main areas of involvement identified by participants were membership in advising and decision-making committees, operationalization planning, implementation and coordination processes, education efforts, and nurses' interactions with the media. Seven themes emerged among perceived facilitators of nursing involvement: existing systems and infrastructure, nursing profession-related skills and competencies, communication and messaging, multidisciplinary and interagency work, recognition and visibility of nurses and nursing, trust in nurses, and nursing pride. Meanwhile, perceived barriers included lack of a voice, recognition and appreciation for nursing, workforce-related challenges, decentralization of responsibility and authority, supply and access issues, downstream effects of the pandemic, and non-COVID-related nursing barriers. Three main themes emerged among suggestions made by participants for improved involvement of nursing: culture change within nursing and healthcare, opportunities and momentum to build upon, and perceptions of responsible parties.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses play a central role in providing health services but are inconsistently included in the policy, planning, and decision-making processes. Findings highlighted the critical importance of nursing leadership roles and expanded roles for nurses. Nursing should be represented by high-level leaders as part of multidisciplinary decision-making groups, educational initiatives for involvement in health policy should be implemented in nursing schools and continuing education, and advocacy and inclusion efforts should utilize bottom-up and top-down approaches concurrently.

Where are nurse-scientists? academic nursing research at critical crossroads

BACKGROUND

Academic nursing research is at a critical impasse after the great retirement and resignation during COVID-19. Sustaining and replenishing senior nurse-scientist faculty that are clinical experts with real-world clinical practice is critical. Leveraging the mission of nursing scholarship within the business of building and sustaining externally funded research enterprises in schools of nursing presents conundrums, especially with persistent nursing faculty vacancies.

PURPOSE AND METHODS

Through a lens of intersectionality within the context of academic bias and nursing education regulation, we address challenges in NIH funding for nurse-scientist faculty. Publicly available data reveal equity, inclusion, and advancement issues that make it an unequal playing field for nurse-scientist faculty if expected to achieve similar NIH funding as faculty in schools of public health and medicine.

DISCUSSION

Understanding research enterprises requires appreciation of the complex interplay between academic nursing units, university infrastructures, and academic budgetary models. Creative support for both nursing deans and their faculty is needed.

Academic nursing leadership: Lessons learned during a pandemic: A qualitative research study

BACKGROUND

In the wake of the pandemic and faculty shortage, strong academic nurse leaders (ANL) are needed to ensure quality education and professional standards are upheld while preparing future nurses.

OBJECTIVES

This team explored experiences and perspectives of ANLs during the pandemic in order to better understand the difficulties they faced, their triumphs and failures, and lessons learned.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This descriptive-exploratory qualitative study captured leadership experiences of 11 academic leaders from a large, urban, Midwestern college of nursing.

METHODS

Three focus group sessions were conducted virtually using a structured question guide and content analysis of transcripts.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged from analysis: Technology, Time and Change, and Well-being. Content analysis also revealed leadership strategies and "pearls of wisdom" offered by participants.

CONCLUSIONS

ANLs faced many challenges during the pandemic that required them to remain steady and present, while practicing regular and effective communication to foster strong relationships. As higher education and healthcare environments develop more complexity and remain constantly changing, leaders must be strategic, emotionally intelligent, and innovative in their roles.