Nursing management (Harrow, London, England : 1994)最新文献

Background: Nurse ward managers have a crucial role in the effective functioning of hospital wards and in organising the work of the nursing team. The Balanced Scorecard model is a management framework that enables strategy to be translated into action by setting goals that lead to measurable outcomes. Few studies have used the Balanced Scorecard model to map the competencies of healthcare professionals.

Aim: To use the Balanced Scorecard model to map the core competencies of nurse ward managers and determine relevant key performance areas (KPAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Method: This mixed-methods study was conducted in the surgical department of an Italian hospital using a qualitative and quantitative exploratory sequential approach. For the quantitative part, the authors asked a convenience sample of various clinical staff to rate a list of nine competencies in terms of their importance for the work of nurse ward managers. For the qualitative part, two focus group discussions were held with nurse ward managers.

Findings: Responses to the questionnaires showed that all nine competencies were important to respondents, with no statistically significant differences between roles. Findings from the focus group discussions broadly confirmed the relevance and importance of the nine competencies. Based on these findings, the authors formulated a strategic map of the nurse ward manager role, with core competencies and associated objectives mapped against the four dimensions of the Balanced Scorecard model.

Conclusion: A strategic map of the nurse ward manager role informed by the Balanced Scorecard model can help measure nurse ward managers' performance and provide a benchmark for them to improve their competencies.

There is growing evidence that clinical research activity is linked to better patient outcomes and that staff involvement in research is linked to enhanced morale and retention. Clinical managers have a pivotal role in supporting staff to engage with research, but they are not always given the means to do so and are not always aware of the benefits. In 2021 a research internship scheme was set up as a collaboration between two London NHS trusts and a university, enabling nurses and midwives to undergo training and undertake a range of research activities. Some participants experienced challenges in fitting internship activities around clinical duties despite the fact that the scheme was planned to give them protected time. This article describes the scheme, reports the findings of its evaluation at one of the two trusts, and discusses its implications for clinical managers in terms of how they can be supported to contribute to the development of a research culture.

Nurses have to be aware of their personal responsibility to demonstrate effective leadership and thereby contribute to safe and effective patient care. One of the primary skills that nurses can use to become effective leaders is communication. This article explores how communication is a vital tool in enabling nurse leaders to motivate their team members and advocate for patients. The author details some of the essential communication skills that nurses require if they are to promote person-centred care and explores the often-neglected areas of non-verbal and written communication. By possessing a full range of communication skills, nurses can empower themselves to lead clinical teams and advocate for patients.

Rationale and key points: Nurse leaders and managers are being encouraged to adopt developmental and transformational leadership styles, and coaching is one tool that they can use to that effect. Beyond formal coaching relationships, the principles of coaching can be relevant to a variety of conversations with staff, for example during appraisals, clinical supervision or training. Applying the principles of coaching as a nurse leader or nurse manager appears to have benefits for all involved. Coaching can help build trusting relationships and empower staff to set themselves meaningful and solution-focused goals and actions and therefore facilitate change. However, the practice of coaching is sometimes misunderstood, while coaching that is unplanned or implemented ineffectively may compromise relationships. •  Coaching is not a directive approach, instead the coach needs to adopt a non-judgemental, supportive and collaborative stance. •  Coaching requires both parties to enter a learning process aimed at bringing about change and should be built on a commitment to that learning process. •  Asking 'curious' questions, encouraging critical reflection and using active listening form the basis of an effective coaching conversation. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: •  How this article might improve your practice when coaching a member of your immediate team or a colleague. •  How you could use this information to educate nursing students and colleagues on the appropriate techniques and evidence base relating to coaching.

Background: Nurses are a crucial part of healthcare organisations, constituting around half of the global healthcare workforce. Therefore, it is important to examine the factors that may affect their job performance, which is central to the delivery of effective healthcare services.

Aim: To examine the relationships between stress, resilience and job performance within the nursing context in Jordan.

Method: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used. A self-administered questionnaire comprising stress, resilience and job performance scales was completed by a convenience sample of 207 nurses working in five hospitals in the northern and middle regions of Jordan.

Results: Overall, respondents self-reported moderate stress levels, normal resilience levels and moderate job performance. The study identified: a moderate positive correlation between stress and resilience; a weak negative correlation between stress and job performance; and a weak positive correlation between resilience and job performance.

Conclusion: It is essential that nurse managers, leaders and policymakers implement measures to mitigate the stressors encountered by nurses, increase resilience and foster effective coping mechanisms. Such measures could enhance nurses' resilience and job performance, ultimately improving patient care.

Background: An increasing number of apprentice nursing associates undertake their home placement in primary care or social care, but there is limited understanding of apprentice nursing associates' experiences in these settings.

Aim: To explore apprentice nursing associates' experiences of a home placement in primary care or social care and provide initial insight into what may support or hinder their professional development in these settings.

Method: A mixed-methods study design was used with qualitative interviews complemented by a quantitative survey. Participants were recruited among 27 current or former apprentice nursing associates studying at one London university. Eleven current or former apprentices were interviewed and 15 completed the survey.

Findings: Participants' motivations for applying to become nursing associates were to develop professionally and advance their careers. They experienced supportive learning environments where they felt part of the team, but also unsupportive learning environments where they were denied protected learning time and supervised practice. Several participants experienced unfair treatment and abuses of power, including non-payment for university days and external placements, sexual harassment and marginalisation.

Conclusion: Apprentice nursing associates can have suboptimal experiences of home placements in primary care or social care and be subjected to unfair treatment and abuse. Urgent action is required from higher education institutions and employers to ensure apprentice nursing associates are adequately supported.

A digitally literate nursing workforce can support the delivery of safe, effective care and improve patient outcomes. However, digital literacy among nurses is variable. Electronic patient records (EPRs), which require the digital documentation of all patient encounters, can be used to generate data that will inform strategies to improve patient care and patient safety. Nurse leaders at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust acknowledged that although ward nurses were providing excellent patient care, there were gaps in their digital documentation of that care. To address the issue, the trust implemented a model of education informed by data analytics and aimed at developing nurses' digital skills and increasing their engagement with digital workflows. This article describes how applications extracting data from the EPR system are used to identify nurses' digital literacy training needs and how a team of digital clinical practice educators delivers targeted educational strategies to meet those needs.

Self-awareness is a crucial component of effective leadership. Leaders who are self-aware exhibit an understanding of their strengths and limitations, as well as an ability to manage their emotions and those of their team members. Heightened self-awareness and understanding of oneself and others can have benefits in terms of increasing confidence and enhancing communication. Moreover, nurse leaders and managers need self-awareness to identify their strengths and weaknesses, navigate complexities, foster positive relationships and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. This article defines self-awareness, discusses its importance for nurse leadership and identifies various tools and methods that nurses can use to develop their self-awareness.

Effective nursing leadership has been shown to improve patient outcomes, but there has been little exploration of the factors that influence early career nurses to develop their leadership skills and adopt leadership roles. This article presents a rapid review of the literature on these factors, integrating data from 25 articles. Findings suggest that improving leadership confidence and self-efficacy, particularly in relation to system leadership, can increase nurses' motivation for adopting leadership roles. Supportive organisations that value leadership and give nurses opportunities to exercise it are equally important. Training and education, preceptorship, peer-to-peer shadowing, modelling and mentoring can all be useful in improving leadership skills and inspiring the next generation of nurse leaders.

Behaviour towards colleagues within the nursing team that undermines teamwork and conflicts with standards and policies can be described as problematic. It is important that nurse managers understand and investigate potential problematic behaviour towards colleagues, particularly in today's healthcare environment where team cohesion and morale are constantly under threat. In this article, the author highlights the challenges for nurse managers and describes the sensitive and respectful exploratory process they need to undertake. Nurses' behaviours are underpinned by beliefs, values and attitudes so investigating potential problematic behaviour warrants an exploration of these aspects with individual nurses and with the nursing team. Therefore, the author also suggests a way for nurse managers to conduct a collective exploration of the team's values.