Educating nursing students in clinical leadership

Abstract

One of the goals of nursing education is to develop caring and responsible nurses with clinical reasoning skills who are capable of improving outcomes in complex healthcare systems. Using the Model of Situated Learning in Nursing Leadership, generalist entry graduate nursing students at Rush University in Chicago, part of a large academic medical centre with Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing practice, are educated using a curriculum based on the clinical nurse leader (CNL) competencies. This article presents a case study that demonstrates how the model is used to provide experiences for learning the CNL role. The students learn leadership in practice through their involvement in ongoing efforts at the medical centre to improve the care of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The case study provides lessons in teaching CNL leadership competencies through efforts to improve the quality of care for an at-risk group of patients.

An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice

“…Sample sizes were relatively small, ranging from 6‐50 respondents and consisted of nurse leaders (Bahouth et al, ; Goldberg et al, ; O'Rourke & Higuchi, ), experienced nurses (Bender, Williams, Su, & Hites, ; Carryer et al, ; Gardner et al, ; Kalb et al, ; Leggat, Balding, & Schiftan, ; Nieminen, Mannevaara, & Fagerström, ) and APN or CNL students (Ailey, Lamb, Friese, & Christopher, ; Gerard, Grossman, & Godfrey, ; Leggat et al, ; Nieminen et al, ; Sievers & Wolf, ).…”

“…These included surveys, interviews, and focus groups to describe experiences on integrating NPs and CNSs into hospitals (Bahouth et al, ; O'Rourke & Higuchi, ; Sievers & Wolf, ) and expressed clinical competences (Nieminen et al, ), a case study on an education program for CNLs (Ailey et al, ), exploring the effect of a mentor program of NP students on developing leadership competencies (Leggat et al, ), piloting an assessment for performance review of NPs and CNSs (Kalb et al, ) and multi‐method research to develop shared competencies and educational standards for APNs (Bender et al, ; Carryer et al, ; Gardner et al, ; Goldberg et al, ). Eight were descriptive studies on (experiences with) educational programs for CNLs or CNSs (Ailey et al, ; Baernholdt & Cottingham, ; Gerard et al, ; Goldberg et al, ; Leggat et al, ; Maag, Buccheri, Capella, & Jennings, ; Sievers & Wolf, ; Thompson & Nelson‐Marten, ) Baernholdt and Cottingham (Baernholdt & Cottingham, ) also reported on the development of the CNL role in practice. Six studies explicitly described leadership competencies (Bender et al, ; Gardner et al, ; Gerard et al, ; Goldberg et al, ; Kalb et al, ; Nieminen et al, ).…”

“…Six studies explicitly described leadership competencies (Bender et al, ; Gardner et al, ; Gerard et al, ; Goldberg et al, ; Kalb et al, ; Nieminen et al, ). Furthermore, studies focused on knowledge (Ailey et al, ; Carryer et al, ), leadership skills (Baernholdt & Cottingham, ; Maag et al, ; Thompson & Nelson‐Marten, ) and leadership attributes (Bahouth et al, ; Sievers & Wolf, ).…”

“…Seven studies and two frameworks reported on knowledge (Ailey et al, ; Bahouth et al, ; Carryer et al, ; The National Organization of Nurse Practotioner Faculties, ), skills (Ailey et al, ; Baernholdt & Cottingham, ; Maag et al, ; The National Organization of Clinical Nurse Specialists, ; The National Organization of Nurse Practotioner Faculties, ; Thompson & Nelson‐Marten, ) and attributes (Ailey et al, ; Bahouth et al, ). Both Ailey et al (Ailey et al, ; Sievers & Wolf, ) and the NONPF (The National Organization of Nurse Practotioner Faculties, ) described skills and knowledge in terms of explicit curricula content for APNs. Other studies reported broadly formulated KSA.…”

Clinical leadership as an integral curriculum thread in pre-registration nursing programmes

“…(Curtis et al 2011a). Given the importance placed on clinical leadership, it is our contention and the view of others, (Scott & Miles 2013, Ailey et al, 2015 that there is a need to extend clinical leadership development to preparatory programmes leading to registration as a nurse. Within this support there are suggestions that we need more 'effective pedagogies' (Scott & Miles 2013 p.77) and more 'discussion of educational strategies for teaching leadership' (Ailey et al, 2015 p.24).…”