Evaluation of a leadership development intervention.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Leadership
• Nursing Management
• Professional Development

Background:

• Addressing the dual challenge of clinical nurse shortages and a declining interest in healthcare leadership roles.
• Recognizing the need for targeted interventions to cultivate leadership potential within the nursing profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a residential leadership development program for Canadian nurses.
• To enhance participants' valuation of leadership and develop essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes for effective nurse leadership.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test design was employed.
• Participants underwent a five-day residential leadership development intervention.
• Leadership practices and burnout levels were assessed via self- and observer-reports immediately before and three months after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Observer-reported leadership practices significantly improved post-intervention for both established and aspiring nurse leaders.
• Self-reported leadership practices did not show significant changes.
• No significant changes were observed in self-reported burnout levels among participants.

Conclusions:

• A concentrated, residential leadership development intervention can effectively enhance observed leadership behaviors in nurses.
• The intervention shows promise for improving leadership practices, particularly from an external perspective.
• Further research may explore enhancing self-perception of leadership and mitigating burnout in nurse leaders.