Clinical nursing leadership is now recognized as a key professional competency that will assure quality patient care and efficient work processes. The medical-surgical unit (MSU) at VA Mather has had high turnover rates and low staff satisfaction surveys for the past two years, which has led to a decline in staff morale. Lead nurses are in key positions to develop their unit staff, promote leadership development, and they are encouraged to act as role models in their practice. Change is difficult; therefore, the application of essential leadership skills is a necessary accompaniment to a change strategy in order to produce positive outcomes and sustainability within the microsystem. In order to achieve the objective of this project, the writer identified the learning needs of prospective lead nurses, worked in collaboration with VA staff when devising a leadership training course, initiated a lead nurse program (LNP) on MSU, and then measured the outcomes using a post-assessment tool. Based on supporting evidence that effective leadership at the unit level is improving productivity and performance of staff, as well as patient outcomes, the implementation of the LNP on MSU was an appropriate evidence-based project. The overarching clinical nurse leader theme represented throughout this project centers around clinical outcomes management in the role as educator.
","abstract_html":"<p>Clinical nursing leadership is now recognized as a key professional competency that will assure quality patient care and efficient work processes. The medical-surgical unit (MSU) at VA Mather has had high turnover rates and low staff satisfaction surveys for the past two years, which has led to a decline in staff morale. Lead nurses are in key positions to develop their unit staff, promote leadership development, and they are encouraged to act as role models in their practice. Change is difficult; therefore, the application of essential leadership skills is a necessary accompaniment to a change strategy in order to produce positive outcomes and sustainability within the microsystem. In order to achieve the objective of this project, the writer identified the learning needs of prospective lead nurses, worked in collaboration with VA staff when devising a leadership training course, initiated a lead nurse program (LNP) on MSU, and then measured the outcomes using a post-assessment tool. Based on supporting evidence that effective leadership at the unit level is improving productivity and performance of staff, as well as patient outcomes, the implementation of the LNP on MSU was an appropriate evidence-based project. The overarching clinical nurse leader theme represented throughout this project centers around <em>clinical outcomes management</em> in the role as <em>educator</em>. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mace, Kara"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)","degree_level":"Project/Capstone - Global access","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Carlee Balzaretti","Dr. Elena Capella"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-08-15T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-08-15T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:40Z","subjects":["Leadership","Charge Nurse","Change Theory","Job Satisfaction","and Leadership Theory","Nursing","Other Nursing"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/358","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Carlee Balzaretti","Dr. Elena Capella"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mace, Kara"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-07-31T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Project/Capstone - Global access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Leadership","Charge Nurse","Change Theory","Job Satisfaction","and Leadership Theory","Nursing","Other Nursing"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/358"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Clinical nursing leadership is now recognized as a key professional competency that will assure quality patient care and efficient work processes. The medical-surgical unit (MSU) at VA Mather has had high turnover rates and low staff satisfaction surveys for the past two years, which has led to a decline in staff morale. Lead nurses are in key positions to develop their unit staff, promote leadership development, and they are encouraged to act as role models in their practice. Change is difficult; therefore, the application of essential leadership skills is a necessary accompaniment to a change strategy in order to produce positive outcomes and sustainability within the microsystem. In order to achieve the objective of this project, the writer identified the learning needs of prospective lead nurses, worked in collaboration with VA staff when devising a leadership training course, initiated a lead nurse program (LNP) on MSU, and then measured the outcomes using a post-assessment tool. Based on supporting evidence that effective leadership at the unit level is improving productivity and performance of staff, as well as patient outcomes, the implementation of the LNP on MSU was an appropriate evidence-based project. The overarching clinical nurse leader theme represented throughout this project centers around clinical outcomes management in the role as educator.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Improving Unit Dynamics: Incorporating Lead Nurse Program on a Medical-Surgical Unit"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Carlee Balzaretti","Dr. Elena Capella"],"dc:creator":["Mace, Kara"],"dc:date.available":["2016-07-31T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Clinical nursing leadership is now recognized as a key professional competency that will assure quality patient care and efficient work processes. The medical-surgical unit (MSU) at VA Mather has had high turnover rates and low staff satisfaction surveys for the past two years, which has led to a decline in staff morale. Lead nurses are in key positions to develop their unit staff, promote leadership development, and they are encouraged to act as role models in their practice. Change is difficult; therefore, the application of essential leadership skills is a necessary accompaniment to a change strategy in order to produce positive outcomes and sustainability within the microsystem. In order to achieve the objective of this project, the writer identified the learning needs of prospective lead nurses, worked in collaboration with VA staff when devising a leadership training course, initiated a lead nurse program (LNP) on MSU, and then measured the outcomes using a post-assessment tool. Based on supporting evidence that effective leadership at the unit level is improving productivity and performance of staff, as well as patient outcomes, the implementation of the LNP on MSU was an appropriate evidence-based project. The overarching clinical nurse leader theme represented throughout this project centers around clinical outcomes management in the role as educator.
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