Background: Healthcare faces huge challenges worldwide because of ageing populations and increasing prevalence of chronic illness. This increasing complexity demands that today’s healthcare is effective, evidence-based and cost-effective (1). Nurses must adapt to meet these challenges. The World Health Organisation has acknowledged the contribution well-educated nurses can make to delivering cost-effective healthcare (2). The nursing profession needs doctorally prepared nurses to lead the profession into the future. Despite the evidence for the importance of higher educated nurses, including postdoctoral nurses for healthcare worldwide (3), literature shows that the infrastructure for nursing research in the Netherlands is fragile and struggling with a lack of programmatic approach to research. Postdoctoral nurses are confronted with limited career opportunities and they are faced with various barriers to develop their nursing science careers(4). Therefore, postdoctoral nurses need to strengthen their leadership and mentoring competencies. The literature shows various positive influences of leadership and mentoring on various outcomes like stronger leadership practices, increased research productivity, improved career development (5). The two-year Leadership Mentoring in Nursing Research (LMNR) program was developed to strengthen leadership competencies, career development of postdoctoral nurses in the Netherlands. This mixed methods study, investigates the impact as well as expectations and experiences of the first cohort of fellows attending the LMNR-program.
Purpose: To describe the development of the LMNR program for postdoctoral nurses and to investigate the fellows’ expectations and experiences of the LMNR program, as well as it’s impact on their leadership practices.
Methods: The LMNR program was developed in a collaboration between all university science departments and national and international partners using the five following steps: (1) systematic review, (2) synthesis of the findings, (3) operationalization of the program, (4) expert valorization and (5) finalizing the program. A team of national and international experts was involved in the development. Collaboration was established with Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) honor’s society of nursing and the European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS). A mixed methods study design was used. Leadership practices were measured using the Leadership Practice Inventory (2). Participant expectations and experiences were explored using semi-structured interviews.
Results: The LMNR program offers a two-year leadership and mentoring program through which post-doctoral fellows extend knowledge in their research areas, conduct successful interdisciplinary research projects, enhance their leadership competencies in research and establish new national and international research networks. Participants follow intensive workshops and meet with leading international experts in health care research. Participants develop professional development plan and receive mentoring by two mentors, namely leadership nursing mentor and research mentor. The results further showed that of the 12 fellows taking part in the LMNR program, three were men and nine were women, with the average age of 43 years. All fellows were postdoctoral researchers (n=12), combining research with teaching (n=8), clinical patient care (n=4), and/or policy and management (n=3). All fellows aspired furthering the development of own research career and had a strong researcher and nurse identity. Their expectations of the program included career reflection, personal growth, increased visibility, extending own research network and strengthening of research competencies and skills. The one-year evaluations were generally positive, with participants describing changes in identity and leadership practice.
Conclusion: A structured and funded postdoctoral leadership and mentoring program was developed to strengthen leadership competencies and career development of postdoctoral nurses to set up national and international research collaborations. The LMNR -fellows expectations and experiences are in line with the program aims. Important enablers have been identified. This is the first leadership and mentoring program worldwide which focuses on postdoctoral nurses working in research, and represents an innovative way to strengthen nursing science.