Abstract
The military dedicates substantial time and resources to developing leaders as all service members are expected to lead2. Military nurse officers (MNOs) are responsible for leading a diverse team of healthcare professionals, despite the frequent turnover caused by relocations for new duty assignments3. Civilian nurses are often chosen to lead based on academic degree, clinical experience, or length of employment; and not demonstrated leadership1. Without adequate leadership training and mentorship, nurses feel unprepared for leadership roles4.
A secondary analysis of data5 from 21 MNOs was undertaken to describe how they mentored, developed, and prepared future nurse leaders in various healthcare settings. The research question was "How do military nurse officer leaders use their leadership experiences to build a bench of future nurse leaders within their organizations?" Across the data, ‘building bench strength’ was articulated in three themes. Common in sports and business contexts, building bench strength refers to succession planning or the preparation of others to step in when needed. Leaders who execute a visionary strategic pathway (theme 1), capitalize on talent (theme 2), and lead from the foxhole (theme 3) can successfully build a bench of future leaders.
Healthcare organizations have an obligation to identify and intentionally develop future nurse leaders. Leadership knowledge and skills acquired during military service reflect recommendations for developing leaders2 and are transferrable to civilian settings. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of timely, intentional organized support for leadership development for all nurses.
Notes
References:
1. Bornman, J., & Louw, B. (2023). Leadership development strategies in interprofessional healthcare collaboration: A rapid review. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 15, 175-192. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S405983
2. 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
3. Jahnke, J. (2008). “Building the bench” – Army National Guard mentoring. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA479658.pdf
4. Phillips, L. (2020). Concept analysis: Succession planning. Nursing Forum, 55, 730-736. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12490
5. Thorne, S. (2013). Secondary qualitative data analysis. In C. T. Beck (Ed). Routledge international handbook of qualitative nursing research. Routledge.
Sigma Membership
Omicron Delta, Pi Lambda
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Succession Planning, Workforce, Coaching, Leadership Training, Military Nurse Officers
Recommended Citation
Chargualaf, Katie A.; Elliott, Brenda; and Patterson, Barbara, "Learning from Military Nurse Officers to Build a Bench of Future Nurse Leaders" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 61.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/61
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, 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.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Learning from Military Nurse Officers to Build a Bench of Future Nurse Leaders
Seattle, Washington, USA
The military dedicates substantial time and resources to developing leaders as all service members are expected to lead2. Military nurse officers (MNOs) are responsible for leading a diverse team of healthcare professionals, despite the frequent turnover caused by relocations for new duty assignments3. Civilian nurses are often chosen to lead based on academic degree, clinical experience, or length of employment; and not demonstrated leadership1. Without adequate leadership training and mentorship, nurses feel unprepared for leadership roles4.
A secondary analysis of data5 from 21 MNOs was undertaken to describe how they mentored, developed, and prepared future nurse leaders in various healthcare settings. The research question was "How do military nurse officer leaders use their leadership experiences to build a bench of future nurse leaders within their organizations?" Across the data, ‘building bench strength’ was articulated in three themes. Common in sports and business contexts, building bench strength refers to succession planning or the preparation of others to step in when needed. Leaders who execute a visionary strategic pathway (theme 1), capitalize on talent (theme 2), and lead from the foxhole (theme 3) can successfully build a bench of future leaders.
Healthcare organizations have an obligation to identify and intentionally develop future nurse leaders. Leadership knowledge and skills acquired during military service reflect recommendations for developing leaders2 and are transferrable to civilian settings. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of timely, intentional organized support for leadership development for all nurses.
Description
Military nurse officers (MNOs) are expected to lead during military service. Their leadership experience prepared them to mentor, develop, and prepare future nurse leaders. A secondary analysis of qualitative data from 21 MNOs yielded three themes to describe how they built a bench of future leaders: articulate a clear vision, capitalize on talent, and lead from the foxhole. Lessons from MNOs underscore the importance of timely, organized support for leadership development for all nurses.