Building from within: identifying leadership competencies for future navy nurse executives

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Leadership
• Nursing Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• The evolving healthcare landscape necessitates updated competencies for nurse executives.
• Forecasting future skill requirements is vital for effective leadership development programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and forecast essential skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) for Navy nurse executives over the next 5–10 years.
• To establish a foundation for a leadership education continuum tailored to nursing executive roles.

Main Methods:

• Two iterations of the Delphi technique were employed to gather expert consensus.
• A survey of 200 nurses (Wave I: 38, Wave II: 93) identified and rated 100 SKA items across 6 competency domains.
• Cronbach's coefficient alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the findings.

Main Results:

• Six core competency domains emerged: business management, executive leadership, professional development, global awareness and interoperability, communications, and personnel management.
• The top three rated SKAs were maintaining integrity, strong communication skills, and the ability to lead and mentor junior personnel.
• All internal consistency measures exceeded the acceptable threshold of .70.

Conclusions:

• The identified competencies and SKAs are critical for future Navy nurse executive roles.
• These findings will inform the development of targeted educational programs and career milestones.
• Establishing a leadership education continuum will enhance the effectiveness of nursing leaders.