Abstract
Leadership competencies articulate the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors associated with successful leaders1-2,5. In the military, all service members are expected to lead; therefore the military commits resources to intentional leadership development4. With training, military nurse officers (MNOs) develop a repertoire of skills necessary to successfully lead diverse teams.
A qualitative descriptive study of the leadership experiences of MNOs (N = 21)3 focused on leadership behaviors acquired during military service and leadership lessons that translated to leading in civilian settings. The MNOs emphasized the importance of articulating a vision, setting goals, communication, emotional intelligence, humility, reflection, relationship building for succession planning, and business acumen. These align with the leading oneself, leading others, and leading organizations competency clusters1. The participants shared that these behaviors were transferrable to civilian settings with perceived positive outcomes.
Nurse leaders and healthcare organizations must purposefully develop future nurse leaders. In doing so, nurses’ professional identity and capacity to lead with moral courage flourish, helping them grapple with difficult decisions. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of timely, intentional organized support for leadership development for all nurses.
Notes
References:
1. American Nurses Association. (2013). ANA Leadership Institute competency model. https://estnda.ee/pildid/dokumendid/Nurse_leader_competences_model.pdf
2. American Organization of Nursing Leadership. (2022). AONL nurse leader competencies. https://www.aonl.org/system/files/media/file/2024/06/AONL_CCDocument_Pg3Update_060524_PRO.pdf
3. Elliott, B., Chargualaf, K.A., & Patterson, B. (2024). Influencing leadership in nursing education and practice: A qualitative study of military nurse officers. Nursing Outlook, 72, 102192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102192
4. Foots, L., Swinger, P., Orina, J., Campbell, C., Javed, M., Hodson, P., & Patrician, P. (2023). Recommendations from a systematic review of leadership development to support a new nursing practice model. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 53(12), 661-667. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.00000000000001363
5. Sigma Theta Tau International. (2023). Global nursing leadership competency framework. https://www.sigmanursing.org/global-nursing-leadership-competency-framework
Sigma Membership
Omicron Delta, Pi Lambda
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Mentoring and Coaching, Succession Planning, Workforce, Leadership, Leadership Initiatives, Military Nurses, Civilian Settings
Recommended Citation
Chargualaf, Katie A.; Elliott, Brenda; and Patterson, Barbara, "Translating Leadership Competencies Acquired During Military Service to Civilian Settings" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 75.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/75
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
2025-11-20
Translating Leadership Competencies Acquired During Military Service to Civilian Settings
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Leadership competencies articulate the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors associated with successful leaders1-2,5. In the military, all service members are expected to lead; therefore the military commits resources to intentional leadership development4. With training, military nurse officers (MNOs) develop a repertoire of skills necessary to successfully lead diverse teams.
A qualitative descriptive study of the leadership experiences of MNOs (N = 21)3 focused on leadership behaviors acquired during military service and leadership lessons that translated to leading in civilian settings. The MNOs emphasized the importance of articulating a vision, setting goals, communication, emotional intelligence, humility, reflection, relationship building for succession planning, and business acumen. These align with the leading oneself, leading others, and leading organizations competency clusters1. The participants shared that these behaviors were transferrable to civilian settings with perceived positive outcomes.
Nurse leaders and healthcare organizations must purposefully develop future nurse leaders. In doing so, nurses’ professional identity and capacity to lead with moral courage flourish, helping them grapple with difficult decisions. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of timely, intentional organized support for leadership development for all nurses.
Description
Leadership is expected from all military nurse officers (MNOs). Analysis of qualitative data from 21 MNOs revealed knowledge, skills, and behaviors developed from leadership training aligned with leadership competencies and positively translated to civilian work settings. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of dedicated leadership development resources for all nurses.