Leadership and management skills for student nurses: a scoping review

Existing literature has emphasized the importance of certain skills vital for student nurses as they prepare for leadership and management roles before becoming registered nurses. This review aims to provide a more comprehensive insight into the essential leadership and management skills identified in previous research. The current study seeks to explore the leadership and management skills necessary to prepare student nurses for their roles in clinical settings.

Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, studies published in English were retrieved by searching PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the keywords 'student nurse', 'leadership skills', and 'management skills'. After conducting a one-month literature review using the selected keywords in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar, we identified 394 citations. From these, fifteen articles were chosen for inclusion in the review. Selected studies primarily involved undergraduate and postgraduate student nurses from various countries.

Thematic analysis highlighted that communication skills are crucial for student nurses to become effective clinical leaders, leveraging their educational experiences. Mentorship plays a pivotal role in developing leadership and management skills. Workshops, training, and simulations are also recognized as important in preparing students for these roles. Moreover, self-awareness and understanding of personal skills were identified as critical for building confidence, fostering reflection, strategic planning, and making sound decisions. The literature also underscores the significance of resource management, conflict resolution, risk assessment, and prioritization skills for student nurses.

The articles emphasize the importance of student nurses recognizing leadership and management skills before entering clinical practice. However, while various assessment tools and workshops exist to train these skills, the studies suggest that more time and resources are needed to effectively address students' learning needs.