Empirically based recommendations for content of graduate nursing administration programs.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Administration
• Organizational Leadership

Background:

• Graduate programs in nursing administration aim to prepare leaders for complex healthcare environments.
• Defining essential competencies for nurse executives is crucial for effective curriculum development.
• Existing research often lacks consensus on the core functions of practicing nurse executives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the essential job functions performed by practicing nurse executives.
• To establish a consensus-based foundation for graduate nursing administration program content.
• To identify critical skills and responsibilities for effective healthcare leadership.

Main Methods:

• A consensus research approach was employed to identify and validate nurse executive functions.
• One hundred and eighty-four nurse executives participated in the study.
• Participants rated and ranked their job functions across diverse healthcare settings.

Main Results:

• Identified and prioritized key job functions critical to the role of a nurse executive.
• Highlighted variations and commonalities in functions across acute care, home care, long-term care, and occupational health settings.
• Provided empirical data on the daily activities and responsibilities of nurse leaders.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings provide a data-driven basis for curriculum design in graduate nursing administration programs.
• Recommendations are made for aligning educational content with the practical demands of nurse executive roles.
• Ensuring graduate programs reflect current practice is essential for developing competent healthcare leaders.