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The development of a role charter for nursing unit administrators
Canadian Journal of Nursing Administration
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Decentralization prompted a nursing group to revise the Head Nurse role, creating a new job description and a
Area of Science:
- Nursing Administration
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Change
Background:
- Decentralization and evolving healthcare structures challenged the traditional Head Nurse role.
- Frustration with conventional duties and the need for improved performance appraisal tools were identified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the process of revising the Head Nurse job description.
- To develop a cohesive Head Nurse Group and a unified role charter.
Main Methods:
- A Medical-Surgical Head Nurse Group initiated a proactive role revision.
- Three nursing departments submitted their perceptions of the role.
- A task force was formed to synthesize these perceptions into a composite document.
Main Results:
- The process led to the formation of a cohesive Total Head Nurse Group.
- A 'Role Charter for Nursing Unit Administrators' was successfully developed.
Conclusions:
- The revised job description and role charter addressed issues of decentralization and role changes.
- The initiative resulted in a more defined and unified Head Nurse role.