Abstract
Leadership development in undergraduate nursing students is essential for preparing future nurses for entry into practice (ANA, 2021). This study aimed to examine the impact of an active learning approach on leadership development among senior nursing students. A quality improvement methodology was used to analyze the outcomes of a leadership course implemented in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Pre- and post-course surveys were administered to 874 senior nursing students from 2017 to 2023 to assess their knowledge and experience with various leadership topics and skills. The pre-course survey revealed low baseline knowledge and comfort levels for most leadership concepts, with only 3 out of 15 topics having over 60% of students reporting above-average knowledge/comfort. The leadership course utilized active learning strategies, including experiential activities, group projects, and application of concepts in clinical settings. The post-course survey results showed significant increases in students’ knowledge and comfort across all leadership domains. The largest gain was seen in quality improvement knowledge, which increased from 8% to 93%. Areas with high baseline scores showed improvement, such as patient safety projects, which increased from 80.5% to 96.3%. Key findings include a 42.8% increase in comfort with quality improvement projects (52.6% to 95.4%), and a 37.6% increase in comfort discussing nursing-related politics (48.7% to 86.2%). These results suggest the active learning approach was effective in developing leadership knowledge and skills in senior nursing students. Limitations include the use of a non-validated survey instrument and the potential impact of online course delivery due to COVID-19. Further research comparing in-person and online formats is necessary to determine the impact of online learning during a pandemic. This study demonstrates the positive impact of an active learning leadership course on nursing students' leadership competencies across multiple domains. The complexity of the post-pandemic healthcare industry requires new graduate nurses to have leadership competencies to overcome future challenges (Morse & Warshawsky, 2021). These findings support the use of experiential learning strategies to prepare nursing students as leaders upon entry into practice. Ongoing evaluation of leadership education methods is crucial to equip new nurses with the skills to lead in complex healthcare environments.
Notes
References:
ANA. (2021). Leadership and excellence. https://www.nursingworld.org/continuing- education/ce-subcategories/leadership/.
Morse, V., & Warshawsky, N. E. (2021). Nurse Leader Competencies: Today and Tomorrow. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 45(1), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.1097/naq.0000000000000453
Additional reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Beta Nu
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning Strategies, Curriculum Development, Policy and Advocacy, Leadership, Leadership Initiatives, Undergraduate Nursing Students
Recommended Citation
Forbes, Thompson Hollingsworth III and Spence, Alexis, "Innovating Leadership Development in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multimodal Approach" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 147.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/147
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
2025-12-01
Innovating Leadership Development in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multimodal Approach
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Leadership development in undergraduate nursing students is essential for preparing future nurses for entry into practice (ANA, 2021). This study aimed to examine the impact of an active learning approach on leadership development among senior nursing students. A quality improvement methodology was used to analyze the outcomes of a leadership course implemented in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Pre- and post-course surveys were administered to 874 senior nursing students from 2017 to 2023 to assess their knowledge and experience with various leadership topics and skills. The pre-course survey revealed low baseline knowledge and comfort levels for most leadership concepts, with only 3 out of 15 topics having over 60% of students reporting above-average knowledge/comfort. The leadership course utilized active learning strategies, including experiential activities, group projects, and application of concepts in clinical settings. The post-course survey results showed significant increases in students’ knowledge and comfort across all leadership domains. The largest gain was seen in quality improvement knowledge, which increased from 8% to 93%. Areas with high baseline scores showed improvement, such as patient safety projects, which increased from 80.5% to 96.3%. Key findings include a 42.8% increase in comfort with quality improvement projects (52.6% to 95.4%), and a 37.6% increase in comfort discussing nursing-related politics (48.7% to 86.2%). These results suggest the active learning approach was effective in developing leadership knowledge and skills in senior nursing students. Limitations include the use of a non-validated survey instrument and the potential impact of online course delivery due to COVID-19. Further research comparing in-person and online formats is necessary to determine the impact of online learning during a pandemic. This study demonstrates the positive impact of an active learning leadership course on nursing students' leadership competencies across multiple domains. The complexity of the post-pandemic healthcare industry requires new graduate nurses to have leadership competencies to overcome future challenges (Morse & Warshawsky, 2021). These findings support the use of experiential learning strategies to prepare nursing students as leaders upon entry into practice. Ongoing evaluation of leadership education methods is crucial to equip new nurses with the skills to lead in complex healthcare environments.
Description
This session presents findings from a study on the effectiveness of an active learning approach in developing leadership skills among senior nursing students. Participants will learn about significant improvements in students' leadership knowledge and comfort across various domains, supporting the use of experiential learning strategies in nursing education.