A Study of Leadership Competencies of First-Line Nurse Managers in Shanghai, China Using Delphi Technique

Abstract

Background: Shanghai is one of the pilot cities which are carrying out health reform in China. It is imperative that nurse managers in Shanghai demonstrate leadership competency. This study aimed to explore leadership competencies needed by first-line nurse managers in Shanghai, China, using the Delphi technique. The researchers synthesized 8 components from the international leadership competency models with suggestions by nursing experts in Shanghai. These components include personal mastery, systems thinking, communication and relationship building, change management, human resource management, financial management, information technology, and knowledge of the healthcare environment.

Methods: This study combined snowball sampling with purposive sampling to recruit participants. The required sample size of the Delphi is at least 17. A total of 20 experts who met the inclusion criteria participated in this study. Three rounds of questionnaires consisted of 1) semi-open-ended form questionnaire 2) second and 3) third round questionnaires with a 5-point Likert rating scale. A total of 20 questionnaires were returned during the three rounds, representing a response rate of 100%. Content analysis and descriptive statistics including median and interquartile range were used to analyze the data.

Results: The results show that 60 items under the 8 components achieved consensus among the 20 experts. Forty-three items kept the highest scores of consensus level (Md=5.00, IR=0.00).

Conclusions: These competencies which achieved the highest levels of consensus can serve as a guideline for the design of leadership development programs in Shanghai, China. Nurse administrators can use these competencies as criteria to recruit and prepare first-line nurse managers in Shanghai, China.