Leadership Development Activities and Benefits From the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Organizational Development
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows (RJWF-ENF) program was a premier initiative for nurse leader career advancement from 1997 to 2017.
• The program emphasized trusting the leadership development process and valuing collegial relationships among nurse fellows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the benefits of the Action Learning Model for leadership development.
• To highlight the experience of the Boom-X-2K action learning team from the final RWJF-ENF cohort (2014-2017).
• To introduce a self-assessment tool for evaluating leaders' influence.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized the Action Learning Model within an intergenerational nurse leader team (Boom-X-2K).
• The team comprised nurse leaders from three generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.
• The team's collaborative work culminated in the development of a specific tool.

Main Results:

• The Action Learning Model facilitated leadership development and fostered intergenerational collaboration among nurse leaders.
• The Boom-X-2K team successfully created a self-assessment tool.
• The tool evaluates a leader's self-perceived ability to influence.

Conclusions:

• The Action Learning Model is an effective strategy for developing nurse leaders, particularly in intergenerational contexts.
• The developed self-assessment tool provides a practical resource for leaders to gauge their influence.
• The RJWF-ENF program's legacy includes fostering advanced leadership skills and practical assessment tools.