Preparing adult branch students for their management role as staff nurses: an action research project

AIM: This action research project aimed to investigate students', newly qualified staff nurses' and ward managers' views about the management skills and knowledge required by staff nurses, and how best students could be prepared for their management role. BACKGROUND: The importance of the staff nurse's management role is increasingly being recognized but the literature highlights the difficulties in preparing students for management, and personal experience confirmed this. METHODS: Focus group interviews were held with senior students and newly qualified staff nurses. A questionnaire was then developed which was completed by 23 ward managers. FINDINGS: A good insight into the management skills and knowledge expected of newly qualified staff nurses, and useful ideas about preparation for the role emerged. An extra 2 weeks in practice, supernumerary and with specific management learning outcomes, was implemented and evaluated well. CONCLUSIONS: Preparation of students for their management role as staff nurses benefits from being closely linked to practical experience, with clear learning outcomes and supportive clinical staff. Using an action research approach to investigate the problem and develop a strategy was found to be an appropriate methodology.