Leadership Development Program for Nurses at a Healthcare for the Homeless Program: A Educational Intervention

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Homeless individuals face unique healthcare challenges requiring specialized leadership.
• Federally funded Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) programs need skilled nurse leaders.
• The Nursing Leadership Institute Competency Model provides a framework for leadership development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop nurse leaders within a large urban Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program.
• To implement and evaluate an educational intervention based on the Nursing Leadership Institute Competency Model.
• To enhance leadership skills and competencies among nurses serving the homeless population.

Main Methods:

• A leadership seminar series was developed and delivered, covering six key leadership topics.
• A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed for evaluation.
• The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) was administered pre- and post-seminar.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements were observed in interpersonal skills, personal mastery, systems thinking, and finance management.
• Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) scores demonstrated a significant increase post-seminar.
• The intervention successfully enhanced specific leadership competencies.

Conclusions:

• The leadership seminar series effectively improved leadership skills and competencies for nurse leaders in the HCH program.
• Acquired knowledge and skills are expected to prepare nurses for sustained leadership roles.
• Enhanced leadership capacity is anticipated to improve organizational effectiveness in serving homeless individuals.