Effect of negotiation skills training program on head nurses' knowledge and behavior.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Education
• Professional Development

Background:

• Negotiation is an essential skill for head nurses in healthcare management.
• Effective negotiation abilities are crucial for managing daily tasks and optimizing healthcare facility operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a negotiation skills training program on head nurses' knowledge and behavior.
• To assess the effectiveness of targeted training in enhancing critical management competencies for nursing leaders.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest, one-group approach was employed.
• The study included 64 head nurses at Menoufia University Hospitals in Egypt.
• Data were collected before, immediately after, and during a follow-up phase post-training.

Main Results:

• Head nurses' satisfactory knowledge of negotiation significantly increased from a minority to over three-quarters post-training.
• High negotiation behavior levels rose from a minority to over half of the participants after the program.
• Statistically significant improvements in both negotiation knowledge and behavior were observed across all measurement points.

Conclusions:

• The negotiation skills training program markedly enhanced head nurses' knowledge and behavior.
• Continuous education and training are recommended to further develop these essential skills.
• Hospital administration should recognize and support the importance of negotiation skills for head nurses and organizational success.