Developing team leadership to facilitate guideline utilization: planning and evaluating a 3-month intervention strategy

BACKGROUND: Research describes leadership as important to guideline use. Yet interventions to develop current and future leaders for this purpose are not well understood. AIM: To describe the planning and evaluation of a leadership intervention to facilitate nurses' use of guideline recommendations for diabetic foot ulcers in home health care. METHOD: Planning the intervention involved a synthesis of theory and research (qualitative interviews and chart audits). One workshop and three follow-up teleconferences were delivered at two sites to nurse managers and clinical leaders (n=15) responsible for 180 staff nurses. Evaluation involved workshop surveys and interviews. RESULTS: Highest rated intervention components (four-point scale) were: identification of target indicators (mean 3.7), and development of a team leadership action plan (mean 3.5). Pre-workshop barriers assessment rated lowest (mean 2.9). Three months later participants indicated their leadership performance had changed as a result of the intervention, being more engaged with staff and clear about implementation goals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Creating a team leadership action plan to operationalize leadership behaviours can help in delivery of evidence-informed care. Access to clinical data and understanding team leadership knowledge and skills prior to formal training will assist nursing management in tailoring intervention strategies to identify needs and gaps.