Staff and Managers Partner to Enhance Staff Satisfaction and Operational Failures

Purpose:
The Institute of Medicine report, “Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses,” noting a decline in NURSE LEADERS and subsequently recommended the adoption of transformational leadership. I began to look at how we train Nurse Leaders.

Significance:
A leadership-training curriculum, was implemented for the Patient Care Managers to improve their leadership skills, to achieve professional goals and the training program's long-term effectiveness, to become transformational leaders.

Strategy and Implementation:
This project utilized an accepted industry process improvement tool enhanced by an executive coaching strategy to increase leadership skills embracing adaptive transformational techniques and improve the frontline manager's approach to dealing with operational failures. The training provided the PCMs with skills and guidelines to manage operational failures and utilize a scientific method of evaluation. The PCMs identified that the coaching intervention enhanced their ownership of the adaptive process, made it simpler and improved their leadership skills and abilities. The original literature search guided and supported the outcomes of the project, specifically the importance of sustainable adaptive transformational leadership techniques to affect change and continually support staff to embrace new opportunities.

Evaluation:
The outcomes attained by executive coaching and the sustainability of leadership skills and knowledge gained through coaching were positive.  Tools utilized were: LEAP/ GTLS scale, Professional Profile Assessment tool HCAPS, NDNQI staff survey, Pressure Ulcer Data - monthly PI

Implications for Practice:
Further Research is needed in health care administration to evaluate the impact of leadership training and outcomes attained by executive coaching and the sustainability of leadership skills and knowledge gained through coaching.