The leadership role of nurse educators in mental health nursing

Nurses' leadership in psychiatric care-A qualitative interview study of nurses' experience of leadership in an adult psychiatric inpatient care setting

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Previous studies on leadership in psychiatric care have focussed on a diversity of staff and on different healthcare settings. Nurses in both Sweden and internationally, working with patients newly diagnosed with psychosis and addiction, describe an overwhelming workload. Existing research points out that experience and leadership training are the most important factors to exert a good nursing leadership. In Sweden, requirements for leadership exists already from the first day of a nurse's career. The relationship and communication between nurses in psychiatric care and members of the staff is decisive for whether the leadership will work. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE: The study adds knowledge regarding the challenges leading the nursing care for patients diagnosed with psychosis and addiction. Ambivalence in the leadership role is prominent among nurses in psychiatric care and feelings of responsibility and meaningfulness are mixed with feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty. Swedish psychiatric nurses lack mandate to lead psychiatric nursing care. This may increase the feelings of uncertainty in their leadership role. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: A mandate to lead as well as a leadership guidance in communication and teambuilding will enhance the leadership, especially among newly graduated nurses. Heightened awareness within the healthcare organization about nurse's experience of difficulties in leading the psychiatric nursing care of the most severe psychiatric illnesses could increase the right prerequisites for leadership. ABSTRACT: Introduction Research shows that psychiatric nursing care puts additional demands on the nurse as a leader due to the psychological complexity of care. Experience and leadership training are most important to exert leadership. In Sweden, demands for leadership exist already at the beginning of a nursing career, and in psychiatry, it may lead to an overwhelming workload. Aim/Question The aim of the present study is to highlight nurses' experiences of leading the psychiatric nursing care in an adult psychiatric context. Method A qualitative interview study of eleven registered nurses within psychiatric inpatient care. Content analysis was used for analysis. Results Leading with combined feelings of both meaningfulness and uncertainty were the theme arising from the result. Discussion Findings from Swedish and international studies stress special demands on leadership in psychiatric care. The result shows that nurses perceived an ambivalence of their leadership in terms of both meaningfulness and uncertainty. Implications for Practice An official mandate to lead as well as leadership guidance in communication and teambuilding will enhance leadership, especially among newly graduated nurses. Heightened awareness within healthcare organizations about difficulties in leading psychiatric nursing care could increase the possibility to create right prerequisites for leadership.

Self-Leadership Practices of Nurse Educators at South African Nursing Education Institutions

Background:

Self-leadership has emerged as a leadership style that could be used to achieve successful performance for individuals and organisations, including higher education institutions. It is, however, not known how nurse educators perceive their self-leadership practices.

Objective:

To describe the self-leadership practices of nurse educators at nursing education institutions.

Methods:

This article reports the quantitative phase of a broader exploratory, descriptive, sequential mixed-method design study conducted with conveniently selected nurse educators (n=265) in two provinces in South Africa. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire.

Results:

Constructs found to be valid for self-leadership practices were autonomy-supportive environment, continuing professional development, role modelling, and shared leadership. Respondents perceived themselves to be engaged in self-leadership practices. The Cronbach alpha coefficient indicated the internal consistency of the constructs.

Conclusion:

Educational institutions should create environments that support autonomy and role modelling to facilitate the engagement of nurse educators in self-leadership practices.

Reducing variations in clinical nurse educator roles: a service improvement project standardising roles and career pathways

BACKGROUND

There is limited research evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of clinical nurse educator (CNE) roles in clinical practice. UK employers tend to use generic nursing job profiles, although the definition, expectations and implementation of nurse educator roles are interpreted differently between employers.

AIM

This project intended to reduce variation and standardise job titles, job descriptions and job plans for CNEs ranging from band 5 to band 7 and identify the academic requirements and professional experience required of each band.

METHODS

An evaluative service review of existing CNE roles was conducted across a large division of a major NHS hospital trust. Focus group interviews were conducted to identify CNEs' and matrons' perceptions of the role.

FINDINGS

Themes identified from the coding of narrative data included: the importance of the role; variations in expectations of the role, job titles, job descriptions and plans; and a lack of career progression pathways.

CONCLUSION

This service improvement project demonstrates that a standardised approach to the implementation of CNE roles can be achieved with the support of a unified senior nursing team. Clearer role definition and career progression pathways would improve job satisfaction and may help retain CNEs in post.

Professional identity and its work-related factors among psychiatric nurses: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the level of professional identity among psychiatric nurses and to explore what work-related factors may affect their professional identity.

METHODS

Four hundred and twelve nurses were investigated. Two self-report questionnaires were used: (a) Nursing Professional Identity Scale (NPIS, range: 30 ~ 150); and (b) Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work (PESNW, range: 0 ~ 100) with six dimensions: nursing-related hospital affairs, high-quality nursing care, ability of nursing manager, manpower and material resources, cooperation between nurses and doctors, and salary and social status. Higher scores indicated higher professional identities and better work environments.

RESULTS

Three hundred and ninety-one of the participants completed the questionnaires and were analyzed. The mean age of the participants was 32.53 years, and 93.3% of them were female. The mean score of NPIS was 100.03 (SD: 17.44). Multiple linear regression showed that professional identity was significantly and positively associated with two dimensions of PESNW: salary and social status and ability of nursing manager.

CONCLUSIONS

Professional identity among psychiatric nurses was at a moderate level. Salary and social status and ability of nursing manager positively contributed to their professional identity. These results may indicate the directors to construct better work environments for psychiatric nursing to improve professional identity.

Health science student teachers' perceptions of teacher competence: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Health science teacher competence is multifaceted and continuously changing according to national and international healthcare standards. Organizational restructuring and emphasis on cost effectiveness is changing the scope of health science teachers' practical work and their role in healthcare (worldwide).

AIM

This study aimed to describe student teachers' perceptions of the competencies needed to work as an educator in the healthcare field. Objective of study was to gain new knowledge which can be used in the development of teacher education programs in nursing science and to define a broader definition of the health science educators.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted. Data were collected from 23 Finnish students completing a master's degree in teaching in the healthcare context using focus group interviews. The data were analyzed by inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

The student teachers identified eight main categories of teacher competence: leadership and management competence; evidence-based practice competence; subject competence; ethical competence; pedagogical competence; collaboration competence; internationalization competence; and continuous professional development competence.

CONCLUSION

This study identified essential teacher competencies that can be evaluated among students to develop health science teacher curricula. The findings can be used in follow-up studies or comparative research to investigate competence differences between novice and experienced teachers.