Nurse Disciplinary Leadership in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Background: Leadership of nurse education and research has become increasingly challenging over the last decade and remains a global issue affecting nurse managers working in the higher education (HE) sector. Nursing faculties have not been immune from the effects of funding constraints, policy reforms and organisational restructures. Aim: This scoping review explored what is currently known about the qualities, behaviours and characteristics (core attributes) of nurse disciplinary leads that manage nursing faculties in HE. Method: Five research questions were identified, and a scoping review method was used to map a wide-ranging set of literature and concepts. Databases were searched using a prospective protocol tool, and an extraction table was created to facilitate content analysis. Findings: Ten articles that addressed one or more of the research questions were identified. While the literature described a range of core attributes required to lead nursing faculties in HE, clarity and definition of terms used were lacking, and articles were primarily opinion-based and nonevidential. Discussion: Whilst key leadership core attributes may be transferable, nurse disciplinary leads require specific knowledge of the HE sector to operate effectively in this environment. Mentorship was reported to have a highly positive impact on academic nurse leadership skill development. Conclusion: Further research is needed to identify opportunities to support the growth and readiness of future generations of nurse disciplinary leads and challenge the current deterrents inhibiting nurse academic career pathways in the Australian and New Zealand HE sectors.