Healthcare Leadership Development Programs for Early Career Nurses

This report examines leadership development programs designed for early career nurses in healthcare settings. It begins by defining leadership and the importance of development programs for junior staff, emphasizing the need for practical experience and problem-solving skills. The report then compares past and current leadership development approaches, highlighting the increased engagement of early career nurses in current programs. It identifies key factors contributing to program success, such as experienced instructors, diverse learning methods, and clear goals. The core of the report outlines the components of an effective leadership development program, including company descriptions, development models, leader identification, performance measurement, and strategies for retaining skilled nurses. The report also provides strategies for program success, such as positive reinforcement and adequate preparation. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of leadership development in healthcare and its impact on organizational performance.

Running head: HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP 1
Leadership Development Programs for Early Career Nurses
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
The success of health organizations exclusively relies on the type of leadership
executed by the leaders. Leadership type in any organization is subject to change due to the
transfer of leaders. Fresh graduates from colleges and universities and often given
opportunity to prove not only their knowledge of particular fields but also the leadership
skills and abilities that would boost the performance of the healthcare organizations (Frich,
Brewster, Cherlin & Bradley, 2015) However, because such junior nurses may not be well
conversant with the relevant leadership styles, they require the guidance of the senior leaders
in such institutions. The direction they acquire consequently help them to vigorously develop
their skills and become some of the best leaders whose skills significantly boost the
performance of organizations.
This study chooses to discuss the leadership development program for problem-
solving skills. In the study, some of the significant issues that would be discussed include the
concepts of leadership development for junior staff, a comparison of the past and current
leadership development plan and a description of the contents of an effective leadership
development plan aimed at improving problem-solving skills for the young employees in the
nursing sector.
Concepts of Leadership Development for Junior Staff
To understand the meaning of a leadership program, it is better first to know what
leadership means. Leadership refers to the ability of a person to either influence or direct a
group of people to perform some tasks which are either aimed at achieving particular goals or
making the group more cohesive towards an objective (Dwyer & Revell, 2016). Leadership
has various theories that can be used to explain it. However, the arguments may only apply to
different platforms. As for the case of developing junior staff or recruits in the healthcare

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sector, leadership should be majorly understood and practiced as a process accompanied by
directions, instructions, and practices. The recruits will be highly dependent on the senior
leaders to successfully execute the skills they developed during the educational sessions.
Some of the components of leadership involve the ability to train people to become
good leaders. However, when it comes to the question of leadership development, the term
‘develop’ becomes paramount and more applicable than to train (Chappell & Richards,
2015). Therefore, the recruits should be exposed to certain activities which help them to
either develop or improve their performance in terms of skills and abilities. Leadership for
this case, should not be based on theories but instead, involve a lot of relevant practical
activities which tend to have positive impacts on the performance of the junior staff.
Members of the junior team should, therefore, be exposed to the real problems and their
thoughts required on how to solve the issues (Chappell & Richards, 2015). If they are unable
to give opinions, they would be exposed to learning on how such matters should be
addressed.
The Past and the Current Leadership Development Programs for Early Career Nurses
Bringing forth a more comprehensive and successful leadership development plan
either comes from an idea or develops an already existing program. Leadership development
programs used in the past may have omitted some of the critical components which would
result in their less success compared to the current plans. One of the most noticeable
differences between the two programs is the active engagement of early career nurses (Sosik
& Jung, 2018). The past program relied mostly on the fact that nurses are well-trained in their
respective schools and so in the practical work, they would be given the chances to solve
severe problems to determine their performance. The provision is unlike the present program,

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which includes the junior staff in the problem solution committee so that they could be
exposed to more learning from their seniors.
A similarity which is evident in both of the development programs of leadership is the
presence of experienced instructors (Leung, 2015). The newly absorbed nurses always work
under some people who have had a good time in the field. When any problem arises, for the
case of the past program, the recruits will be allowed to solve the problem. However, if it
becomes difficult for them, the experienced instructors will be available to take charge, and
they will have an opportunity to learn. On the other hand, the present program requires the
recruits to be part of the problem-solving team so that they can see and master every step
followed. Another remarkable similarity is the measurement of results (Shamir & Eilam-
Shamir, 2018). Even though the criteria for measuring the results of the program might not be
similar, it is evident that the two programs measure their results to identify the extent of their
success.
Factors Associated With the Success of the Programs
Availability of experienced instructors: - People who have stayed in a particular field
for some good under tend to have a profound understanding of the area (Baron & Parent,
2015). Therefore, the presence of experienced instructors makes it easy for the recruits to
learn and fully understand the methods that can help them successfully solve problems.
Various learning methods: - the methods availed for learning are many. Some of the
plans include but not limited to inclusion of the recruits in the problem-solving teams and
giving them a chance to step up for senior leaders who are absent for duties (Newcomer,
Hatry & Wholey, 2015). People do not have a similar method of understanding and having a
variety of techniques helps cater to the needs of many people.

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Clarity and precision of goals: - every program undertaken by a person or an
organization should have a purpose which acts as a guideline. The success of the leadership
development programs for early career nurses is assured because of the presence of definitely
outlined goals.
At times, the leadership development program may not perform to the desired level,
thus requiring ways to improve its performance. One of the methods is through trainee
motivation, where the early career nurses should be congratulated and given a few presents
after performing well in a case that required problem-solving skills (Holt, Hall & Gilley,
2018). Other trainees who fail to perform as per the requirements should also be motivated
and encouraged to meet the standards. The instructors also need to be friendly and precise to
cater for the learning of trainees of different learning abilities. The setting of high goals of the
program could be taken as another way to improve it so that many people will have excellent
performance as they attempt to achieve the set goals.
The Leadership Development Program
Target audience: - All the early career nurses who are getting into the real field for the
first time after graduating from colleges and universities.
Rationale: - great leaders are face transfers and retirements, thus leaving the various
hospitals deficient of leaders of their caliber (Hagen, Holom & Amayu, 2018). Therefore, the
program is essential as it spreads the relevant leadership knowledge to different people who
will be able to replace the current leaders when time is due.
Context: - the field of application of this program would be on the skills of solving
problems in the nursing sector.
The Contents of the Program

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Company Description and Possible Leadership Requirements
The company in question is a healthcare provider, and as it is always known, almost
all companies have problems that need solutions. Clients in hospitals are patients who need to
be attended to by nurses. Problems can arise from management or nurses. For example, the
lack of transparency in terms of finances and in drug selection where some physicians may be
taking drugs and using them to open their chemists outside the hospitals (Fallatah, Laschinger
& Read, 2017). Some of the requirements include better choice evaluation, proper analysis of
situations, and the ability to predict outcomes of decisions made when solving problems.
Such skills help the recruits to understand a problem in and react to it accordingly.
Development Model
The development model that would be chosen should ensure that the trainees get the
opportunity to grasp the contents of the program both theoretically and practically. However,
the theoretical part might not be more important than the practical part. The methods chosen
should encourage active learning where a trainee is exposed to the real field to encounter the
problem. Examples of the means to be selected from in this sector include but not limited to
selection of the junior staff as part of the problem-solving team as they take part in the real
field and allowing the junior staff to step up for the senior members who are absent
(Doumouras & Engels, 2017). The two methods and many others will increase their
engagement, which consequently improves their learning.
Identification of Potential Leaders
Common problems which lead to the failure of leadership development programs
occur in the selection of potential leaders. Many instructors opt to choose potential leaders
based on their top performances in their respective fields. It is equally important to note that
leadership and performance in the area are different things. Therefore, leaders should be

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chosen based on the identifiable skills of leadership (Mussi, do Valle Pereira, de Oliveira
Lacerda & dos Santos, 2018). It is in this phase where practical skills are majorly applied and
those able to think critically towards an analysis of a problem, engaging other members and
showing the general leadership skills are chosen.
Measurements of Results
Measuring the performance of the program would help the instructors to learn the
worth of their efforts and also give the trainees the ability to determine their mistakes. The
measurement can be done by analyzing the number of junior staff that will complete the
training, the feeling of the trainees about the program and the performance of those absorbed
into the real fields over some time.
Retention of Skilled Nurses
The skills required are usually got after the completion of the training provided in the
program. Some people become better than others in terms of performance but may be too
much behind them in terms of their talents and leadership skills. After the training, the
program facilitator should ensure that talented and future prospective leaders are retained
even if they don’t get immediate positions (Elliott, Begley, Sheaf & Higgins, 2016). They
should not be lost easily. Both those who get absorbed immediately and those kept pending
should be given reasonable compensation that would motivate them to improve their skills.
They should also be engaged in the professions- related activities to avoid idling that may
result in the loss of already developed skills.
Strategies to Make the Program Successful.
i. ‘Praise loudly, criticize softly.’ The team of instructors should be cautious not to
criticize their students loudly to avoid the embarrassments that may lead to massive
withdrawals (Beer, Finnström & Schrader, 2016).

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ii. Recognition and encouragement of learners to increase their interest and enthusiasm
in the program.
Inadequate and insufficient preparation is one of the significant problems that always
lead to failure in the performance of a development program. Some instructors have the
prejudice that they know everything about the application and fail to account for the relevant
resources and outline the picture content of the whole process (Betancourt et al. 2017). For
that reason, they fail to touch on every bit of the program, making the trainees to be returned
in a ‘half-backed’ manner in terms of knowledge. One strategy that has been deemed viable
for the elimination of barriers contains four essential items. The items are the identification of
the perspective issue, development of leaders through teaching and coaching that they may
adjust to the point identified, assessment of leaders to ensure high-level accountability
(Block, 2016). Finally, an acknowledgment which refers to the identification of the best
performing leaders in order to recognize and reward them.
Appendix
Item Description
Aims Of The Program To guide the junior staff to create and
achieve their career goals.
To increase the understanding and the skills
of the junior staff in the field of problem-
solving.
Timelines Depending on the mode of delivery, the
trainees would be subjected to the program
between 8 am and 4 pm, six days a week
and for three months.

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Content All the requirements that relate to improving
problem-solving skills in the healthcare
sector.
Model Of Delivery The junior staff being part of the team
engaged in the problem solution.
They shall also assume the positions of
absent senior leaders until they come back.
Delivery Staff Experienced senior staff members selected
to be instructors.
Assessments The assessments of the program shall be
majorly based on the strengths and
weaknesses of the newly absorbed early
career nurses. They shall need to execute
whatever they have learned in the field and
use it to solve the real organizational
problems.
Milestones It is an event that will mark the start of mass
dissemination of leadership qualities
through active development.
Program Evaluation The evaluation of the program will be done
based on the number of early career nurses
who complete the program, their opinions
on the training, and their performance once
absorbed into the jobs.

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