Management development of the head nurse: the program and evaluation of the program

The purpose of continuing education is to build upon nurses' educational and experiential basis for the enhancement of their practice, administration, education or research, to the end of maintaining and improving the public's health. Continuing education evaluations traditionally have been formative and summative, determining the participants' perceptions and opinions about continuing education offerings or immediate assessment of changes in knowledge and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nurses who attended a management development continuing education program had greater cognitive knowledge and were able to implement management models and theories into their practice following the program. The program was three to four days, depending on the size of the facility. Ten different Veterans Administration medical centers participated in the programs. The investigator sent questionnaires to 191 nurse managers who had attended a Southwestern Regional Medical Education Center continuing education program. Responses from 111 managers were received. The data analysis indicates a high correlation between theories presented and theories/models implemented in management practice. In addition, data indicate that nurse managers who were able to apply theory in a practical manner felt this was due primarily to the continuing education program. A model for the development of the new nurse manager (Sheridan, Bronstein, & Walker, 1984) was used in planning the program, and the Stake countenance model (Stake, 1973) was used in evaluating the program.