Nurse managers' competencies: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Healthcare Administration
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Effective nurse managers are crucial for healthcare organization success.
• A gap exists in synthesized knowledge regarding nurse manager competencies.
• Advanced management skills are essential for contemporary nurse managers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize scientific literature on nurse managers' competencies.
• To identify and categorize essential competencies for nurse managers.
• To inform the development of nurse manager training and professional development programs.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was performed.
• Searches were conducted across major electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL).
• Competencies were extracted, analyzed, and grouped based on characteristics.

Main Results:

• An initial analysis identified 392 competencies from 76 studies.
• These were refined and grouped into 53 distinct competencies.
• Communication and finance emerged as the most frequently cited competencies.

Conclusions:

• Understanding nurse manager competencies aids in strategic development of leadership.
• 22 core competencies were identified, forming a potential basis for professional development pathways.
• These findings can guide the creation of targeted learning and development programs for aspiring nurse managers.