Transformational Leadership as a Means of Improving Patient Care and Nursing Retention.

摘要

The Joint Commission (TJC) sets standards to assist healthcare organizations in improving performance. The hospital for which this project was developed did not meet national TJC benchmarks for patient satisfaction and nurse retention. Based on direct observation, discussion with staff, and results of the Multifactorial Leadership Questionnaire given to 39 staff nurses before this project was chosen, evidence suggested that the leadership style of the charge nurses was transactional, which is less effective than transformational leadership (TFL). Framed within the Plan, Do, Study, Act model, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to design an educational curriculum including didactic and competencies on TFL for unit charge nurses. A team approach was used for the project. Incorporating the American Organization of Nurse Executives recommendations on effective leadership, the curriculum encompassed the importance and management of TFL intertwined with the power, motivation, and characteristics of the transformational leader. Competencies governing TFL in practice were a significant part of the curriculum. The curriculum was evaluated by 4 content experts using a 12-item yes or no response for each of the criteria. One of the criteria was answered no in the learning objectives section and the design of the criteria was revised All other criteria were met. A recommendation was made for a change to the evaluation format for the leadership style identification portion of the curriculum. This project has important implications for social change as unit charge nurses strive to act on best practices in leadership, thus positively impacting the well-being and satisfaction of their patients and fellow nurses.