Charge nurses as front-line leaders: development through transformative learning

Based on the results of a staff satisfaction survey, nurse leaders recognized that the role of charge nurse was a significant source of dissatisfaction. Little attention had been paid to how the charge nurse role was learned, and no organizational support was offered to develop nurses for this role. Collaborating with a nurse educator consultant, nurse managers developed and implemented a three-part educational program to reframe staff perceptions of the charge nurse role. Centered on principles of transformational learning, the program evaluation demonstrated that concerted efforts to improve staff satisfaction and effectiveness could be accomplished if staff were given new information and guided through focused discussion and reflection. Eighty-two percent of the attendees noted that they appreciated the time allocated for the sessions and acknowledged that this gave them an opportunity to examine their thoughts and feelings. Seventy-five percent said that they learned new words to describe and explain their experiences. After the sessions, staff described a new sense of professional pride and nurse managers observed greater confidence in nurses' decision making and assertive communication.