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Characteristics of Nurse Directors That Contribute to Registered Nurse Satisfaction
Debra Burke1, Jane Flanagan, Marianne Ditomassi
1Author Affiliations: Associate Chief Nurse, Women and Children, Mental Health, Cancer Center and Community Health Nursing Practice (Dr Burke); Nurse Scientist, Yvonne L. Munn Center for Nursing Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and, Associate Professor, Boston College Connell School of Nursing (Dr Flanagan); Executive Director, Patient Care Services Operations and Magnet Recognition (Dr Ditomassi), Massachusetts General Hospital; and Vice President and Associate Chief Nurse (Dr Hickey), Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to explore RNs and nurse directors' (NDs') perceptions of leadership on units with high RN satisfaction scores.
Background:
Identifying the characteristics of NDs that contribute to RN satisfaction is important in the recruitment and retention of RNs and in the selection and role development of NDs.
Methods:
This study used a qualitative design using appreciative inquiry-guided data collection.
Results:
Nine RNs and 9 NDs met the inclusion criteria. Each group identified 4 themes.
Conclusions:
Registered nurse and ND participants identified similar themes representative of leadership attributes and behaviors that contribute to RN satisfaction.
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