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Learning Objective 1: Measure the effectiveness of leadership education on the perception of leadership behaviors among frontline nurses.
Learning Objective 2: Describe focused education related to leadership skills for nurses at the point of care.
Background: Today’s ambiguous healthcare environment requires nurses to be proficient in complex thinking while demonstrating leadership skills, as well as, clinical competence. Equipping nurses with leadership skills is not well engrained into the nursing role definition (Swearingen, 2009).
Methods: A pre-test post-test design was used to measure the difference in pre- and post-program self perception of leadership behaviors among charge and potential charge nurses attending a focused educational leadership program.
A four hour education program was designed with tools and strategies related to leading at the point of care. The Smola Assessment of Leadership Inventory (SALI) was administered at the beginning, completion and three months post education program (Smola, 1988). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples was used for statistical analysis. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.
Results/Outcomes: Two cohorts responded to forty questions with analysis on pre/post test and posttest/3 months. Cohort one (n=28) exhibited a significant difference pre/post test (p=.000) and post test/3 months (p=.025). Cohort two (n=15) revealed a significant difference pre/post test (p=.004) and no significant difference post test/3 months. A limitation was follow-up challenges at 3 months post program.
Implications for Practice: Self perception of leadership behaviors improved at completion of the newly developed program and did not change over time. Self perception of leadership reflects a healthy environment through enhanced staff satisfaction, control of practice, autonomy and succession planning.
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