Qualifications of Executive Nurses for Service on Hospital Boards

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Leadership
• Organizational Governance
• Nurse Executive Roles

Background:

• Hospital boards increasingly focus on quality of care and financial accountability.
• Nurse leaders possess critical insights into shared governance, quality, finance, legal, and regulatory aspects.
• Effective hospital governance relies on diverse expertise for optimal performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess executive nurse leaders' self-perceived leadership qualities for hospital board appointments.
• To evaluate alignment between nurse leaders' skills and American Hospital Association (AHA) board membership requirements.
• To document nurse leaders' perspectives on their qualifications for executive hospital board roles.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative online survey was administered to 50 senior nurse executives.
• The survey utilized the Center for Healthcare Governance (CHG) Assessment Tool©, based on AHA recommendations.
• Respondents rated their knowledge and skills using a 4-point Likert scale.

Main Results:

• Nurse executives reported significant expertise in quality, patient safety, healthcare administration, policy, and business management.
• Lower self-assessed expertise was noted in organizational specialties such as legal, construction project management, and finance.
• Findings highlight core strengths and areas for development among nurse leaders seeking board positions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides data to inform hospital boards about the qualifications of nurse executive leaders.
• Nursing leaders, professional organizations, and academic institutions can use these findings for skill assessment and board appointment guidance.
• Bridging identified skill gaps can enhance nurse leader representation on hospital boards.