Leadership Characteristics of Nurse Managers Associated with Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice

Abstract

The implementation of evidence into practice is a complex process. Estimates indicate that it takes seventeen years on average for research to be translated into practice. Delay in implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) results in poor patient outcomes and negative impacts to healthcare systems. While many factors contribute to delayed implementation of evidence, organizational characteristics of healthcare institutions have a significant impact on implementation. Leaders play a critical role by influencing these organizational characteristics to support evidence-based practice implementation. A key leadership role within acute care healthcare organizations is that of the front-line nurse manager (NM). Front-line nurse managers have responsibility for nursing unit operations and clinical nurses who deliver patient care under the nurse managers supervision. The relationship between NM leadership competencies and implementation of EBP is not well understood. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify how NM leadership behaviors influence the implementation of EBP. This dissertation examined the relationship between NM leadership behaviors and implementation of EBP. Results link the role of the NM to evidence-based clinical practice, and describe competencies and education needed for NM development. With an understanding of the NM leadership behaviors associated with implementation of EBP, healthcare leaders can develop education, processes, and interventions to increase competencies on NM leadership behaviors. Better implementation support by NMs will result in an improvement in use of EBPs. To examine the NM leadership behaviors that are associated with implementation of EBP, the following activities were completed: (1) an integrative review of the literature related to NM competencies associated with implementation, (2) identification and description of nurse manager competencies associated with EBP implementation using the Delphi method, and (3) examination of NM leadership behaviors associated with implementation of EBP during the COVID-19 pandemic response through a multi-site descriptive correlational survey of NMs and their nursing staff. Results of these studies demonstrate the importance of NM leadership characteristics and behaviors on EBP implementation.