The Leadership Mentoring in Nursing Research Program for Postdoctoral Nurses: A Development Paper

Leadership development programmes in healthcare research: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-aggregation

BACKGROUND

Academic institutions benefit from researchers adopting leadership positions and, subsequently, leadership development programmes are of increasing importance. Despite this, no evaluation of the evidence basis for leadership development programmes for healthcare researchers has been conducted. In this study, the authors reviewed leadership development programmes for healthcare researchers and aimed to identify their impact and the factors which influenced this impact.

METHODS

The authors searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO between January 2000 and January 2023 for evaluations of leadership development programmes with healthcare researchers. The authors synthesised results through exploratory meta-analysis and meta-aggregation and used the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Checklist for Qualitative Studies to identify higher-reliability studies.

RESULTS

48 studies met inclusion criteria, of which approximately half (22) met the criteria for higher reliability. The median critical appraisal score was 10.5/18 for the MERSQI and 3.5/10 for the JBI. Common causes of low study quality appraisal related to study design, data analysis and reporting. Evaluations principally consisted of questionnaires measuring self-assessed outcomes. Interventions were primarily focused on junior academics. Overall, 163/168 categorised programme outcomes were positive. Coaching, experiential learning/project work and mentoring were associated with increased organisational outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Educational methods appeared to be more important for organisational outcomes than specific educational content. To facilitate organisational outcomes, educational methods should include coaching, project work and mentoring. Programmes delivered by external faculty were less likely to be associated with organisational outcomes than those with internal or mixed faculty, but this needs further investigation. Finally, improving evaluation design will allow educators and evaluators to more effectively understand factors which are reliably associated with organisational outcomes of leadership development.

Implementing a strategic plan for research

Effective integration of research within healthcare organisations is recognised to improve outcomes. A research strategy within a hospital Trust in South West England was revised, following the launch of a national Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) strategy that promotes research engagement and activity. The aim was to develop, implement and evaluate this revised strategic plan for research. High-level engagement within the organisation was established and previous initiatives evaluated. A 6-year plan with 2-year targets was defined and evaluated at year end. The four pillars of the CNO strategy were central to the revised strategy, underpinned by digital innovation. Evaluation of the earlier strategy indicated excellent engagement with the Chief Nurse Research Fellow initiative and the Clinical Academic Network. The 'Embedding Research In Care' (ERIC) unit was reconfigured to an ERIC model, which aided question generation and project development. Year one objectives were achieved within the revised plan. Implementing a research strategy within an organisation requires a cultural shift and a long-term vision is required with measurable objectives. The team demonstrated significant progress through high-level leadership, mentoring and cross-professional collaboration.

'I need support in becoming the leader I would like to be' - A qualitative descriptive study of nurses newly appointed to positions of leadership

AIM

The aim of the study was to understand the experiences of nurses who were newly appointed to a position of leadership including facilitators and barriers to success and what they considered important for the development of their role.

METHODS

We used a qualitative descriptive research design. The study was conducted in Norway with 10 nurses who had been appointed to a leadership position within the last 2 years. Participants were interviewed with individual qualitative interviews which were transcribed and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The following four main themes were identified from the data: I feel lonely in the leadership position, I am not confident as a leader, I am unsure of the requirements and expectations of me, and I need support and supervision.

CONCLUSION

The results underscore the challenges reported by new leaders in nursing and their advocacy for mentorship as a facilitator for success. The qualifications of mentors were emphasised with a need for a comprehensive leadership skill set to address the multifaceted aspects of leadership development.

Career development of doctorally prepared nurses

AIM

To integrate research literature regarding careers, career development and factors influencing the career development of doctorally prepared nurses.

DESIGN

An integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, CINAHL and Embase were searched in June 2022 without time restrictions.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed empirical publications written in English with different types of study designs were included. Two researchers independently applied eligibility criteria, selected studies and conducted quality appraisals using Joanna Briggs checklists. Data were extracted and analysed using a convergent integrated approach with thematic analysis. Themes were established within three categories based on the research questions: career, career development and factors influencing career development.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were included. Nine themes were identified. One theme regarding careers describes that doctorally prepared nurses need to prioritize work within different positions. The two themes focusing on career development described the need to determine career goals after the doctorate and further develop competencies. Six themes described factors influencing career development: 'Intrinsic motivation to improve health care and nursing education', 'Available support sources', 'Professional development programmes', 'Work-life balance', 'Organizational infrastructures for career advancement' and 'Competition and hostile treatment among colleagues'.

CONCLUSION

Limited knowledge of the careers and career development of doctorally prepared nurses was found. Doctorally prepared nurses need to balance work with various part-time positions. Careers and career development could be supported by the development of structures for career advancement as well as supportive working environments.

IMPACT

Doctorally prepared nurses with strong careers are important to health care and nursing as they generate and implement new knowledge into clinical practice and thereby support the improvement of (nursing) care and patient outcomes. This study provides considerations towards strengthening the careers of doctorally prepared nurses.

REPORTING METHOD

PRISMA.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Improved professional competencies and leadership in PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral students after participating in the cross-national and web-based Nurse-Lead program

BACKGROUND

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)-prepared nurses are expected to exercise leadership in their various roles. Therefore, European nurse scholars developed a cross-national web-based Nursing Leadership and Mentoring Educational (Nurse-Lead) program.

PURPOSE

To evaluate changes in leadership practices, professional and research competencies as well as career development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students after participation in the Nurse-Lead program.

METHODS

A pre-post-test evaluation was conducted. Surveys addressed leadership, professional and research competencies, and career development. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests. Content analysis was used for qualitative data.

DISCUSSION

The 30 participants showed significant improvements in all leadership practices, professional competencies, and most research competencies. Participants reported increased confidence in decision-making, taking on new responsibilities, and becoming more visible within research teams.

CONCLUSION

Web-based, international leadership and mentoring programs are promising tools for the leadership and professional development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students.

The experience of good mentoring focused on overcoming turnover intention among millennial nurses

Introduction

Millennials are emerging as a prominent demographic in the nursing workforce. It is necessary to create an environment that harmonizes the advantages of each generation in a nursing workforce in which various generations coexist. As the importance of mentoring programs for millennial nurses grows, it is believed that the effectiveness of mentoring to support millennial nurses can be enhanced by identifying the attributes of good mentors as perceived by nurses. This study aimed to explore the attributes of good mentors according to millennial nurses in the nursing workforce with a focus on overcoming turnover intention problems.

Methods

Four focus group interviews were conducted to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. A descriptive qualitative design involving 22 millennial nurses employed at a tertiary hospital, Hospital A, in Seoul, Republic of Korea was utilized.

Results and discussion

Four themes emerged from the analysis: the concept of a significant others, the presence of a driving force to endure, the importance of a guide to a harmonious life, and the value of a partner for growth. The participants themselves identified these themes. To prevent turnover intention among millennial nurses, mentors should employ diverse strategies, and institutional supports are crucial. Furthermore, since it is unrealistic to expect all ideal mentor characteristics to be present in one person, mentor development education is also necessary. This information is valuable for designing mentor development programs and for establishing a solid framework for effective mentoring programs.

The experiences of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students with being mentored in the Nurse-Lead programme: A focus group study

AIM

to explore experiences of being mentored and the contribution of the mentoring to leadership and professional development of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students participating in the Nurse-Lead programme.

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is considered important for career development of academic nurses. Doctorally prepared nurses need a wide range of professional competences to develop sustainable careers. Therefore, they may benefit from a larger network of mentors, outside their own organization, to support their professional development. Therefore, a web-based leadership and mentoring programme was developed - the Nurse Lead programme.

DESIGN

A descriptive study with semi-structured focus groups.

METHOD

Three focus groups were conducted during an on-site programme meeting in 2019 with twenty-one doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students. The interview guide included questions about mentoring relationships and meaning of mentoring for leadership and professional development. The interviews were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Five themes were identified: "Preferred characteristics of mentors", "Developing trusting relationships", "Engagement of the mentors", "Becoming a proficient researcher and team leader" and "Becoming an empowered and confident professional".

CONCLUSION

Mentoring supported the leadership and professional development of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students. Participants were engaged in rewarding mentoring trajectories. The results indicate that a similar approach could be followed when developing mentoring programmes in the future.

Mentoring in research: development of competencies for health professionals

BACKGROUND

Mentoring programmes in health research are beneficial for both mentors and mentees and are essential for the development of the next generation of research leaders. This study describes the self-assessment of research skills in health professionals participating in a research mentoring programme and determines the correlation between the participants' self-assessment of research skills and professional characteristics.

METHOD

This was a quasi-experimental, time-series study conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital. Thirty-five health professionals holding a master's or PhD degree were included. The participants answered a survey in which they self-assessed their research skills distributed into eight domains, with one group responding before training and another group responding after training. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Those who received training scored better in research skills related to two domains: critical analysis of the literature and identification of appropriate research methods (p = 0.0245).

CONCLUSION

Trained professionals performed better in the domains of critical thinking and knowledge and management of steps in the research process.

Leadership of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals and its influence on career development: A qualitative study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore leadership experiences and the influence of leadership on career development of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) represents the highest level of education for a career in research and scholarship. PhD-prepared nurses have an important role in advancing the nursing discipline by conducting and implementing research finding. Given the rapidly changing health care environment, there is a clear need for PhD-prepared nurses with strong leadership competences. Currently, there is a dearth of studies exploring leadership of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative study.

METHOD

A purposive sample with PhD-prepared nurses employed at clinical departments was used. Twelve interviews were conducted with participants from seven hospitals. Perceptions towards leadership, leadership experiences, leadership barriers and the influence of leadership on career development were discussed. Interviews were thematically analysed. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines.

RESULTS

Three themes addressing leadership experiences were found: (1) "Leadership is needed for career development" describes how participants took initiative and received support from colleagues and mentors; (2) "Practicing leadership behaviours" describes leadership behaviours and feelings associated with leadership and (3) "Leadership influenced by the hospital setting" describes the working environment including struggling nursing research cultures and infrastructures with limited positions, managerial support and opportunities for collaboration.

CONCLUSION

Although participants showed leadership to advance their careers, barriers related to working environment were found. Stakeholders should invest into opportunities to develop and utilise leadership competences and development of strong nursing research cultures and infrastructures with sustainable career frameworks and positions.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

There is a need for ongoing efforts to build strong leadership competences as well as nursing research cultures and infrastructures with career pathways and suitable positions for PhD-prepared nurses within hospitals to empower them to strengthen nursing.

The Current Status of Research Mentoring in Nursing Across 4 Countries: A Discussion Paper

The purpose of this article is to discuss the current status of research mentoring in nursing across 4 countries (the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan) and to make suggestions for future research mentoring. Seven leaders reflected on the current status of research mentoring in nursing, provided exemplars/cases from their own experiences, and their reviews of the literature. Six themes were discussed: (a) "culturally defined"; (b) "professionally contextualized"; (c) "teaching research integrity and research practice"; (d) "with mutual respect and care"; (e) "based on effective communication"; and (f) "supported by institutional and governmental commitment and infrastructure."

Prevention of Venous Thrombosis of Lower Limbs after Cesarean Section Based on Smart Medical Air Pressure Therapy Instrument

Affected by the environment, the incidence of lower extremity venous thrombosis after cesarean section is gradually increasing, and postoperative nursing is becoming more and more important. The intelligent medical air pressure therapy instrument is a common and effective postpartum nursing method. This paper studies the role of pneumatic therapeutic apparatus in the prevention of lower extremity venous thrombosis after cesarean section in smart medicine, describes its importance in nursing, and analyzes the role of pneumatic therapeutic apparatus and smart medicine combined with the postoperative nursing situation of patients with cesarean section in our hospital. In this paper, we aggregate the description text of six levels of hospital intelligent service grading evaluation. In order to show the characteristics of each level and the requirements of each level of hospital intelligent service, we can roughly see the differences between different levels. Research shows that with the construction of medical information platform, more and more medical processes rely on hospital information system, which promotes the integration of medical platform and the interconnection of medical equipment, provides convenient services for patients, and provides patients with easier access to services. At the same time, the massive data generated by appointment, nursing, treatment, and other activities will be recorded, and the pneumatic therapeutic instrument can avoid the occurrence of 60% lower extremity venous thrombosis. The data of air pressure therapeutic instrument is dynamic, and its performance is mainly reflected in the recording of dynamic index data.

Characterization of Factors Predicting a Favorable Opinion of Research Applications Submitted for an Ethical Review Process

Introduction

In Spain, biomedical research applications must receive a positive ethical opinion from Research Ethics Committees (RECs) before being executed. There is limited information on how to optimize the ethical review process to reduce delays. This study was performed to characterize variables predicting favorable opinions at the first ethical review performed by a REC.

Material and Methods

The study assessed all research applications revised by a REC in 2019–2020. Data was extracted from REC's database of La Rioja, Spain. Variables collected covered three areas: (i) principal investigator's profile; (ii) study design; and (iii) ethical review process. A model based on multiple logistic regression analysis was created to identify variables explaining favorable opinions in first rounds of ethical review processes.

Results

The sample included 125 applications (41 submitted in 2019, and 84 in 2020). At the first review, nine (7%) applications were rejected, 56 (45%) were approved, and the remaining 60 (48%) required at least two reviews prior to approval. When comparing both years, a 2-fold increase in the number of applications submitted, and a difference in the ratio of applications with a favorable vs. non-favorable opinion were observed. Furthermore, a model predicted 71% of probability of obtaining a favorable opinion in the first ethical review. Three variables appeared as being explanatory: if the principal investigator is either the group leader or the department's head (OR = 17.39; p &lt; 0.001), and if the informed consent (OR = 11.79; p = 0.01), and methods and procedures (OR = 34.15; p &lt; 0.001) are well done.

Conclusions

These findings confirm an increase in the number of submissions and a difference in the ratio of applications approved by year. Findings observed also confirm deficiencies in “informed consent” and in “methods and procedures” are the two main causes of delay for favorable ethical opinions. Additionally, findings highlight the need that group leaders and heads of departments should be more involved in guiding and supervising their research teams, especially when research applications are led by less experienced researchers. Based on these findings, it is suggested that an adequate mentoring and targeted training in research could derive in more robust research applications and in smoother ethical review processes.

Translation, Adaptation, and Psychometric Validation of the Spanish Version of the Attitudes towards Research and Development within Nursing Questionnaire

The promotion of research competence is essential for the development of the nursing profession and discipline. The aim of this study was to translate into Spanish, adapt, and validate an instrument measuring nurses’ attitudes towards nursing research and development. A quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical design was used for the cross-cultural adaptation and cultural validation of the instrument. A total of 367 participants were selected using intentional sampling. A process of translation, back-translation, expert consultation, and pilot testing was followed. Subsequently, reliability and statistical validity were assessed, a new factor structure was proposed, and means were compared to assess the power to discriminate between factors by groups of participants. The results showed internal consistency tests with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.913. Confirmatory factor analysis of the comparative fit index (CFI = 0.549) and Tucker–Lewis index (TLI = 0.491) indicate that the factors did not match the original clustering model. The new factor structure consisted of seven factors. Between-group comparisons revealed statistically significant differences. In conclusion, the instrument exhibits high levels of statistical reliability and validity compared to the original instrument. The new factorial proposal is consistent, but further research is needed to verify its replicability in other contexts.

Is leadership of nurses associated with nurse-reported quality of care? A cross-sectional survey

Background

Nurses need to exhibit stronger leadership by taking more responsibility and accountability to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the association between quality of care and leadership styles and practices, and whether the characteristics of nurses influence this interaction.

Methods

We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional survey of 655 nurses working on clinical wards in Dutch university medical centres in 2018.

Results

Transformational leadership was significantly associated with quality of care which explained 5.9% of the total variance (R²= 0.059 F = (11,643) = 3.726, p = 0.011), and the nurse characteristics gender, profession and type of practice area were significant influencing factors. Nurses rated the quality of care (mean (M) = 7.7, standard deviation (SD) = 1.3) as moderate and they showed moderate levels of transformational leadership style (M = 3.7, SD = 0.5) and transformational leadership practices (M ≥ 6.2 and ≤ 7.6).

Conclusions

When considering quality improvement on clinical wards strategic managers need to be aware of the fact that leadership is associated with quality of care and that nurse characteristics influence this association. The findings indicate a pressing need for education and training for nurses in how to develop leadership and raising the awareness among strategic managers about the importance of leadership in health care is recommended.

Bridging the gap between research and clinical care: strategies to increase staff awareness and engagement in clinical research

Background

Research active hospitals have better patient outcomes and improvements in healthcare are associated with greater staff engagement in research. However, barriers to research activity include inadequate knowledge/training and perceptions that research is a specialist activity. Nursing is an academic discipline but the infrastructure supporting nursing research worldwide is variable and sustaining clinical academic careers remains challenging. The National Institute of Health Research 70@70 Senior Nurse Research Leader programme provides dedicated time to increase clinical academic opportunities and foster a research culture across England; we describe initiatives developed by one National Institute of Health Research 70@70 leader to increase clinical staff engagement in research.

Aim

The purpose of this work was to develop initiatives to facilitate clinical research opportunities and bridge the gap between clinical care and research.

Methods

New strategies were developed in one health service to increase clinical staff engagement in research activity. This included: (a) Chief Nurse Research Fellows: clinical staff undertaking bespoke research training to identify local clinical research priorities, (b) an exemplar nurse-led Embedding Research In Care unit to pioneer innovation, evaluation and research participation supported by a research facilitator and (c) a Clinical Academic Network for nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare professionals to aid collaborative working.

Results

The first cohort of Chief Nurse Research Fellows have successfully completed a bespoke training programme and, with mentoring, developed projects to tackle clinical problems. The Embedding Research In Care unit initiative was configured and the first Embedding Research In Care unit has been awarded. A Clinical Academic Network group of 25+ nurses, midwives and allied health professionals was established and provides peer support and mentoring.

Conclusions

This multi-faceted approach has successfully supported research training/engagement, enabled career development and identified nurses/midwives with potential to undertake clinical academic careers. A range of strategies, such as those described in this paper, are required to successfully bridge the gap between clinical care and research and provide additional opportunities for clinical staff to become engaged in a research active career.

Developing leadership in postdoctoral nurses: A longitudinal mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Postdoctoral nurses have an important role in advancing nursing by generating knowledge and building networks in research, practice, and education which requires effective leadership. Therefore, the Leadership Mentoring in Nursing Research programme for postdoctoral nurses was developed.

PURPOSE

This study was to evaluate expectations, experiences, and perceived influence of the leadership mentoring programme on leadership and professional development, professional identity, and research productivity of postdoctoral nurses.

METHODS

A longitudinal mixed-method study with a concurrent triangulation design was used with data collected through semistructured interviews and online surveys.

FINDINGS

The leadership mentoring programme was found to be valuable by the participants who described strengthened leadership and professional development and development of professional identities. Participants showed increased research productivity and many moved to new/higher positions.

DISCUSSION

The leadership mentoring programme was found to enhance the leadership and professional development of postdoctoral nurses and support them in their academic careers.

Making explicit the development of PhD-prepared nurses to steward the discipline

Leadership is a core curricular element of PhD programs in nursing. Our PhD faculty began a dialogue about being a leader, a steward of the discipline. We asked ourselves: (a) What expertise do PhD prepared nurse needs to begin to steward the discipline? (b) How do faculty engage PhD nursing students to assume responsibility for stewarding the discipline? Lastly, (c) How do we work with PhD nursing students to create their vision for how their work contributes to stewarding the discipline, from doctoral coursework throughout their career? We support the need for PhD graduates to have the skills to generate knowledge, conserve that which is important, and transform by disseminating new knowledge to a broad audience. Examples of nurses stewarding the discipline when pioneering research, critiquing traditional approaches to inquiry or trends in nursing practice, and developing policy, are highlighted along with examples of how PhD nursing students begin to steward the discipline.