Development of a Leadership Competency Model

Background: Although research findings support that the nurse manager has a pivotal role in influencing all aspects of the nursing environment, recruiting talented staff into these nursing leadership positions has become increasingly more difficult. There is a need to better understand the competencies needed by contemporary nurse managers and the challenges in the role. Objective: The purpose of this research was to explore the viewpoints of 120 nurse manager study participants on the contemporary nurse manager role and to gain perspective on the critical leadership skills and competencies to build a nursing leadership competency model. Design: A grounded theory methodology was used in this study to capture the perspectives of the nurse managers interviewed about their role. Results: Six competency categories emerged from the research findings to form a nursing leadership competency model. Two major themes identified from the data included the nurse manager role as a career choice and the stressors and challenges in the role. Conclusion: The results of this study led to the design of a nursing leadership competency model and confirmed that there is a need to formally develop and mentor our next generation of nurse leaders.