Codesigning a Nursing Leadership Program to Transform Value and Delivery Systems for Fundamental Care

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Healthcare Systems
• Fundamental Care

Background:

• Fundamental care deficits impact patients, providers, and systems globally.
• These deficits arise from undervaluing and the invisibility of fundamental care in research, education, practice, and policy.
• Existing leadership programs often lack focus on fundamental care and address only single system areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the process and outcomes of co-designing a nursing leadership program for fundamental care.
• To empower nursing leaders to challenge and change the value and prioritization of fundamental care.
• To enhance fundamental care across research, education, clinical practice, and policy.

Main Methods:

• A participatory action research approach was used for co-design.
• The process involved two stages: idea generation (Nominal Group Technique, n=60) and refinement/trialling (workshop, n=19).
• Collaboration included current and emerging nursing leaders from multiple countries.

Main Results:

• Participants prioritized understanding fundamental care, developing advocacy skills, and gaining knowledge translation resources.
• A need for skills in implementation and measurement strategies was identified.
• Participants desired dedicated time for research and quality improvement project design.

Conclusions:

• The co-design process successfully created a Fundamentals of Care Leadership Program tailored to nursing leaders' needs.
• The program empowers leaders to challenge value systems and champion fundamental care.
• The ultimate goal is to improve fundamental care outcomes and experiences within health systems.