BACKGROUND: As the financial responsibilities of nurse managers continue to grow in today's rapidly changing healthcare landscape, there is a clear need to strengthen their financial management competencies. These competencies have historically received less emphasis in the managerial role description compared to other leadership skills. AIM: This scoping review aimed to identify factors that hinder nurse managers' financial management and practical approaches to improve financial management for future implementation in nursing administration practice. METHODS: We used Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework to structure and guide the scoping review. A systematic search strategy was implemented using the databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus, with the literature search completed on November 22, 2024. RESULTS: Of the 2142 records retrieved, 14 studies were included in the review, with a total of 1518 participants across all study samples. Most of the studies (64.2%) were conducted in the USA. Thematic analysis identified three major challenges to effective financial management among nurse managers: (1) insufficient awareness, (2) limited authority, and (3) inadequate resources and systems. To overcome these challenges, three key strategic approaches to improve financial management were recognized: (1) practical experience, (2) professional credentials, and (3) targeted training and educational programs. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the critical role of both institutional structures and tailored educational supports in enabling nurse managers to effectively carry out their financial duties. Specifically, strengthening competencies requires aligning managerial authority with responsibilities, improving access to systems and resources, and promoting experiential learning, credentialing, and targeted training. These insights offer practical and policy implications for strengthening competencies within nursing leadership. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The findings suggest that healthcare organizations should prioritize policy and structural changes to support nurse managers' financial roles, including expanding managerial authority and strengthening support systems. Such efforts may enhance leadership capacity and improve financial performance in healthcare.
Lee et al. (Thu,) studied this question.