Cultivating Leadership Skills in Beginning Undergraduate Student Nurses

Emeghebo, Lorraine

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Lorraine Emeghebo, EdD, MS, BSN, BS, RN
Division of Nursing, Molloy College, Rockville Center, NY

Learning Objective 1: Discuss strategies to reinforce leadership and management skills among student nurses

Learning Objective 2: Discuss methods to enhance professional collaboration between student and staff

Nursing students are expected to learn leadership and management skills so that by the time they graduate, they have the confidence to delegate assignments to assistive personnel, at the very least. Because students practice their skills under the watchful eyes of their clinical instructor who is the link between the student and staff, student nurses seldom have the opportunity or autonomy to form a collaborative relationship with nursing staff. When students can communicate effectively with staff on the unit, they are able to practice delegation in a manner that influences a positive response to a request, which in turn increases their level of self confidence. This project facilitates leadership experiences that allow students to use critical thinking and decision-making skills to structure their day, and complete their clinical assignment by delegating to assistive nursing personnel.

During the second half of their Medical-Surgical I clinical rotation, when students are sufficiently socialized to the culture of the unit, they are assigned two patients. Students prepare a realistic time-line for the day and come to clinical prepared to discuss medications and patient care. Students decide the appropriate time they will administer their medications with instructor guidance. This frees students to administer and monitor other therapeutic interventions without waiting around for the instructor to supervise them with medication administration, and allows the instructor to spend quality time with each student. Based on each patient’s needs, students must decide what aspect of care they can accomplish and what they can safely delegate. They learn to collaborate and negotiate on a professional level as hand-holding is gradually withdrawn.

At post conference, students reflect on their experience and are given feedback. Students are taught to think on their feet, while instructor support is still nearby. This method provides beginning students with the opportunity to assume leadership roles.

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