One of the biggest obstacles to nursing satisfaction and retention is the challenging work environment that nurses must contend with on a daily basis, not just here in Quebec but around the world. A study underway at 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) and eight partner institutions under the direction of Principal Investigator Laurie Gottlieb, RN, PhD, is designed to improve nurses鈥� work environments by training leaders and managers. 鈥淲e believe that by applying the principles of Strengths-based Nursing and Healthcare (SBNH), nurse leaders can help create a major shift in nurses鈥� work environments,鈥� says Professor Gottlieb, former director of the ISoN and developer of SBNH, a human-centered approach to nursing.
Entitled 鈥淭ransforming Nurses鈥� Work Environments through a Strengths-Based Leadership and Management Training Program鈥�, the study is funded jointly by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Healthy Productive Work Partnership Grant (2018-2024). In addition to 捆绑SM社区, partner institutions include Toronto鈥檚 Hospital for Sick Children, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, the 捆绑SM社区 Health Centre (MUHC), the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l鈥橧le-de-Montr茅al, the CIUSSS de l鈥橭uest- de-l鈥橧le-de-Montr茅al, the Canadian Nurses Association, and Concordia University.
According to 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Office of Sponsored Research, this is the first partnership grant in 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 history to be led by a project director based in 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
A Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership Program was developed and delivered online to 121 emerging and established nurse leaders and managers from five partnered healthcare institutions. An active learning approach integrated the use of stories to encourage reflection, sharing and deeper meaning. The goals of the program were to increase nurse leaders鈥� understanding of SBNH as well as how to support staff to incorporate SBNH in their nursing practice, to create harmony between approaches to clinical care and leadership, and to empower leaders to positively transform their workplace environments.
The program was accredited for up to sixty-one hours of continuing professional education through the Continuing Nursing Education Office of the Ingram School of Nursing. The first cohort of 55 participants attended the program from September 2021 until March 2022, while the second cohort of 66 participants completed the six-month program in October 2022. The study team is conducting quantitative and qualitative mixed-methods evaluation of both cohorts and aims to publish comprehensive results next year.
A summary of qualitative results from the first cohort was presented in French at the 8e congr猫s mondial du S茅cretariat international des infirmi猫res et infirmiers de l鈥檈space francophone. (Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Boies K., Clausen C., Fr茅chette J., Manning K., Mastroberardino M., Gottlieb L. (2022). L鈥檌mpact d鈥檜ne formation en leadership aupr猫s des gestionnaires infirmiers en contexte de pand茅mie.). The authors reported that program participants stated that they are better able to integrate the SBNH Leadership language into their day-to-day leadership, which has given them a greater awareness of their leadership approach.
The team behind the research study has also received encouraging messages of endorsement from the nursing leaders involved.
鈥淭his has been a very inspiring and empowering program. SBNH has taught me that every problem/conflict is an opportunity to grow,鈥� said Kathy Kana鈥檃n, a staff nurse from the MUHC who participated in the SBNH Leadership Program.
Beverley-Tracey John, Director of Nursing at the CIUSSS de l鈥橭uest- de-l鈥橧le-de-Montr茅al and co-investigator on the research team, commented on the importance and timeliness of this study, 鈥淭his project will demonstrate the direct and positive impact that SBNH can have on the healthcare continuum. The nursing profession must lead healthcare into its next chapter. SBNH will help us tell the story.鈥�
More information on the Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership Program can be found on the research project鈥檚 website:聽/strengths-based-nursing-healthcare/
Photo caption:聽Members of the research study's Executive Committee. From left to right: Bruce Gottlieb (co-investigator), Tina Gelsomini (project officer), Laurie Gottlieb (principal investigator), M茅lanie Lavoie-Tremblay (co-investigator).聽