Professional Development Needs of Nurse Managers

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading This Issue Instructions: 1. 3 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded after you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http: //goo. gl/gMfXaf. In order to obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, “Professional Development Needs of Nurse Managers, ” found on pages 252–258, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the 20. 00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until May 31, 2018. Contact Hours This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Objectives Describe the professional development needs of unit-level nurse leaders. Explain the importance of creating formal development programs within the health care organization. Disclosure Statement Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose. Background: Nurse managers have a key role in creating positive work environments where safe, high-quality care is consistently provided. This requires a broad range of skills to be successful within today’s complex health care environment; however, managers are frequently selected based on their clinical expertise and are offered little formal preparation for this leadership role. Method: We conducted three focus groups with 20 nurse managers to understand their professional development needs. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Three themes emerged: Managing Versus Leading, Gaining a Voice, and Garnering Support. Managers focused on daily tasks, such as matching staffing to patient needs. However, the data suggested gaps in foundational management skills, such as understanding organizational behavior, use of data to make decisions, and refined problem-solving skills. Conclusion: Professional development activities focusing on higher level leadership competencies could assist managers to be more successful in this challenging, but critical, role. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2015;46 (6): 252–258.