Abstract
Background: Nurse leaders practice under extreme stressors and poor organizational support decreases their job satisfaction, increasing their intention to quit1,5. As nurse leaders’ role continues to expand, it is crucial to enhance their role competence through comprehensive training and ongoing support for their successful transition 2,4.
Purpose: Nurse leaders differ in their competence based on experience and generational diversity. This study is about the development of a leadership academy to promote nurse leader development, and retention through ongoing training, while also targeting generational differences in building nurse leader-role competence.
Methods: This project was instituted with the mission to inspire, empower, and nurture nurse leaders in an acute care hospital. A needs assessment was done to identify gaps in leadership onboarding. To address this gap, a nurse leader academy was organized with monthly sessions focusing on financial management strategies, managing associates, work-life balance, wellbeing, and mentorship by the executive leadership team in addition to a structured 12-week orientation. Bimonthly wellbeing sessions were held with team-building activities focusing on nurse leaders' physical and emotional health, building emotional intelligence across distinct generations.
Results: Nurse manager competency inventory (NMCI)3 domains were assessed 6 months after the academy. The mean satisfaction of nurse leaders with the orientation process increased from 5.61 (pre) to 5.95 post-intervention. Role competence of nurse leaders improved in areas such as financial operations – 36% to 66%, professional development – 74% to 96%, mentorship - 65% to 89%, prioritizing wellbeing – 74% to 88% and recognizing worklife stressors from 83% to 86%. About 96% of nurse leaders were confident in the recruitment efforts, while 69% were confident in the retention efforts. 11% of the millennials (1981-1996) reported intention to leave. Intention to stay was highest among Gen Z, Gen X & Baby Boomers. Among the specialties, 44% of leaders in the perioperative/ woman and infant services reported higher intention to leave, and supportive initiatives were instituted.
Conclusion: Millennials will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025, so organizations must prioritize developmental activities focusing on Gen Z's entrance and millennials career growth and retention by successfully transitioning them to leadership roles, and promote professional development.
Notes
References:
1. American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (August 2021). COVID-19 Longitudinal Study August 2021 Report: Nurse leaders’ top challenges, emotional health, and areas of needed support. AONL & Joslin Marketing © 2021.
2. Balluck, J. (2023). Increasing nurse leaders competence and confidence by implementing a novice nurse leader development program. Nurse Leader, 21(3), e22–e27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.10.013
3. DeOnna , J. ( 2006 ). Developing and validating an instrument to measure the perceived job competencies linked to performance and staff retention of first- line nurse managers employed in a hospital setting [Doctoral thesis, The Pennsylvania State University. College of Education]. https://etda.libra ries.psu.edu/catal og/7168
4. Salemo, C., & Fitzpatrick, M. M. (2023). Nurse leader development programs. Nursing Management, 54(9), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmg.0000000000000050
5. Warden, D. H., Hughes, R. G., Probst, J. C., Warden, D. N., & Adams, S. (2021). Current turnover intention among nurse managers, directors, and executives. Nursing Outlook, 69(5), 875–885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.04.006
Sigma Membership
Pi at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Acute Care, Competence, Workforce, Leadership, Leadership Initiatives
Recommended Citation
Edwin, Hephzibah Sophie and Lawrence, Cassandra, "Generational Differences Among Nurse Leaders and the Development of Nurse Leader Role Competence" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 7.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/posters_2025/7
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-18
Generational Differences Among Nurse Leaders and the Development of Nurse Leader Role Competence
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Background: Nurse leaders practice under extreme stressors and poor organizational support decreases their job satisfaction, increasing their intention to quit1,5. As nurse leaders’ role continues to expand, it is crucial to enhance their role competence through comprehensive training and ongoing support for their successful transition 2,4.
Purpose: Nurse leaders differ in their competence based on experience and generational diversity. This study is about the development of a leadership academy to promote nurse leader development, and retention through ongoing training, while also targeting generational differences in building nurse leader-role competence.
Methods: This project was instituted with the mission to inspire, empower, and nurture nurse leaders in an acute care hospital. A needs assessment was done to identify gaps in leadership onboarding. To address this gap, a nurse leader academy was organized with monthly sessions focusing on financial management strategies, managing associates, work-life balance, wellbeing, and mentorship by the executive leadership team in addition to a structured 12-week orientation. Bimonthly wellbeing sessions were held with team-building activities focusing on nurse leaders' physical and emotional health, building emotional intelligence across distinct generations.
Results: Nurse manager competency inventory (NMCI)3 domains were assessed 6 months after the academy. The mean satisfaction of nurse leaders with the orientation process increased from 5.61 (pre) to 5.95 post-intervention. Role competence of nurse leaders improved in areas such as financial operations – 36% to 66%, professional development – 74% to 96%, mentorship - 65% to 89%, prioritizing wellbeing – 74% to 88% and recognizing worklife stressors from 83% to 86%. About 96% of nurse leaders were confident in the recruitment efforts, while 69% were confident in the retention efforts. 11% of the millennials (1981-1996) reported intention to leave. Intention to stay was highest among Gen Z, Gen X & Baby Boomers. Among the specialties, 44% of leaders in the perioperative/ woman and infant services reported higher intention to leave, and supportive initiatives were instituted.
Conclusion: Millennials will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025, so organizations must prioritize developmental activities focusing on Gen Z's entrance and millennials career growth and retention by successfully transitioning them to leadership roles, and promote professional development.
Description
Nurse leaders are critical change agents, and practice under extreme stressors. Organizations must prioritize nurse leaders developmental activities to handle the existing challenges in healthcare. This project was developed to provide nurse leaders with foundational leadership and management skills and support nurses transitioning to leadership roles. This initiative explored nurse leaders role competence, while addressing generational differences in promoting nurse leader retention.