Building Team Leader Competency in Senior Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Team Leadership Skills

Background:

• Limited opportunities exist for nursing students to develop team leader skills during clinical rotations.
• A practice gap is identified in the preparedness of new nurses for leadership roles.
• Effective team leadership is crucial for patient safety and quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a competency-based education unit and simulation on nursing students' team leader skills.
• To assess the effectiveness of simulation-based learning in enhancing confidence and comfort with leadership tasks.
• To address the identified practice gap in nursing leadership development.

Main Methods:

• Senior nursing students participated in a specialized education unit focused on team leadership.
• A simulation-based learning experience was integrated to practice team leader skills.
• Pre- and post-surveys using the Self-Confidence and Comfort with Utilizing a Standardized Handoff Communication Tool were administered.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement was observed in 14 out of 19 survey items related to team leader skills.
• Students reported increased confidence and comfort after participating in the educational intervention.
• The competency-based and simulation approach demonstrated positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Competency-based education combined with simulation is an effective strategy for developing nursing students' team leader skills.
• This educational model enhances student confidence and comfort in leadership roles.
• The findings support the integration of simulation and competency-based learning to prepare future nursing leaders.