Determining Leadership Readiness in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) Practicing in Illinois

Objectives: The purpose of this project is to (1) establish a general state of “leadership readiness” among certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) practicing in Illinois, as determined by their Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment scores and (2) correlate factors such as level of education, work experiences and specific leadership training/development on leadership readiness.

Background:  The changing health care environment requires strong nurse leaders in health care and professional organizations who are able to effectively envision organizational goals and share their visions in order to motivate and inspire others to achieve those goals.  Often times, nurses are called to leadership positions without consideration of the individuals’ readiness to become a leader and there have been limited studies attempting to identify a state of leadership developmental readiness among practicing CRNAs and/or advanced practice nurses. In establishing a general state of leadership readiness among CRNA members of the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists (IANA), the findings of the study will provide a better understand of where the group stands as potential leaders and where to focus leadership developmental efforts. 

Methods: This study is a descriptive, correlational study using a 14-item electronic survey sent to all CRNA members of the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists (N=1290).  131 CRNAs responded meeting the study’s criteria of (1) being a CRNA and (2) practicing in the state of Illinois.  Survey data was collected from February 01, 2014 to May 01, 2014. 

Findings: The data has been collected and is in the process of being analyzed.  Statistical significance will be established with correlation and independent T tests.  I will have the findings and discussion ready to present at the conference.

Conclusion: This study will reveal a level of leadership readiness among CRNAs practicing in Illinois.  A full conclusion and discussion of need for further studies will be ready to present at the conference.