Aims
To explore the experiences of senior charge nurses provided with ‘increased supervisory hours’.
Background
Designated supervisory time is essential for senior charge nurses to provide effective clinical leadership. It is important to explore the impact arises of such an increase.
Methods
An online questionnaire collected exploratory data from senior charge nurses (n = 60). Semi‐structured interviews gathered in‐depth qualitative data (n = 12). Findings were analysed for common themes associated with implementation of the increased senior charge nurse supervisory role.
Results
The majority of senior charge nurses were unable to use their full allocation of supervisory time. They struggled to accomplish leadership goals because of managing staffing levels, increased workload, time constraints and limited support. Factors that facilitated the role included preparation and support, adequate staff capacity, effective leadership skills and availability of supervisory time. The senior charge nurses took pride in providing clinical leadership, promoting staff development and delivering patient care. Support, in terms of preparation, capacity building and ongoing mentoring, was a key factor for achieving senior charge nurse goals.
Conclusion
Senior charge nurses should be supported to maximise supervisory time through the provision of an induction programme, formal coaching and ongoing training and development.
Implications for nursing management
Preparation and support is essential for senior charge nurses to deliver enhanced clinical leadership through increased supervisory time.
This article is the first in a series of seven articles on an initiative undertaken in NHS Lanarkshire where a creative partnership with the University of the West of Scotland established a shared commitment to developing nursing and midwifery leadership. This article describes the national context within Scotland. It provides an overview of the innovative programmes of work and systems devised to support leadership throughout the organisation with a particular focus on quality of care.
This article is the fourth in a series of seven articles relating to the implementation of Leading Better Care (LBC). It describes two projects that were undertaken concurrently within NHS Lanarkshire to support senior charge nurses to work effectively within the role framework of LBC, with enhanced supervisory status. The article discusses the background and aims of the projects, their findings and the resulting action taken by NHS Lanarkshire.
Clinical nurse leadership is essential for the provision of high quality patient care. Recent research has highlighted the need for all Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs) to be equipped to deliver effective ward management, staff development and ultimately a positive patient experience. The provision of 'supervisory hours' is a vital component of an SCN role, enabling the effective leadership of their teams. This paper describes the increased supervisory role implemented by the Leading Better Care program within one Health Board area of Scotland. Mixed methods research (online survey n=52 and in-depth qualitative interviews n=12) explored the experiences of SCNs using their increased supervisory time and its perceived impact on clinical practice. Findings demonstrate that increased supervisory time positively impacted several key areas of clinical practice. Although the increased supervisory role empowered SCNs and promoted their professional development, they require greater role clarity, managerial support and leadership development to reduce role stress and promote future career aspirations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.