The effect of nursing management development program on clinical competency in coronary care unit

Abstract

Background: Nurses are the main members in nursing cares and nursing managers can improve their clinical competency by applying better leadership skills. This study carried out to determine the effect of nursing management program on clinical competency of nurses in a coronary care unit (CCU). Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in two educational hospitals in Yazd- Iran. These hospitals were allocated randomly in case and control hospitals. 25 matched nurses were selected by convenience sampling from both case and control hospitals. The clinical competency of nurses was measured by related questioners consisted of two dimensions caring and care management behaviors by self-evaluation and head nurse evaluation in case and control groups. Then, the intervention was implemented in four stages including nurse's development, managers' development, adaptation and supervision period during four months in the case group. After intervention, clinical competency of nurses was measured in both groups. Results: The results showed that before intervention more than 80% of nurses in two groups was in the moderate clinical competency level and they were proficient based on Benner's skill acquisition model. After intervention, nurses' clinical competency improved to higher level in case group but it didn't change in control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Creating necessary modifications in nursing environments through the management development program by head nurses may improve nurses' clinical competency.