The impact of a leadership development programme on nurses' self-perceived leadership capability

Aim This paper reports on the outcomes of a locally designed educational programme to support leadership capability of junior registered nurses. Background The Developing Leader Programme is an in-house programme delivered in three face-to-face workshops, comprising self-directed reflective and application activities. Method Surveys were used to evaluate self-perceived leadership capability over a 9-month period. The survey comprised a Leadership Capability Instrument adapted from two existing tools. Participants completed surveys at the commencement of the programme, after the third and final workshop and approximately 6 months afterwards. In addition, examples of descriptive accounts of programme activities submitted by individual participants were included to enrich data. Results Of 124 participants, 79 completed surveys at the first workshop, 28 at the final workshop and 31 were returned 6 months after completion of the programme. Mean scores for each area of leadership capability significantly improved throughout the duration of the programme (P < 0.001). Participants also indicated a willingness to enact leadership behaviours through reported activities. Conclusions Survey responses indicated that participants perceived improved leadership capability after completing the Developing Leader Programme. Implications for nursing management Early educational intervention to facilitate the development of leadership skills as well as clinical skills in junior registered nurses can assist with how they interact with the team. Participation of junior registered nurses in a locally designed leadership programme can assist them to develop leadership behaviours for everyday practice.