Michael R Bleich

Men in nursing.

Overview This literature review examines the ability of the nursing profession to recruit and retain men in nursing schools and in the nursing workforce. The authors consider such educational barriers as role stress, discrimination, and stereotyping, and explore questions of male touch and the capacity of men to care. In identifying challenges faced by men entering or working in a profession in which women predominate, the authors hope to promote actions on the part of nurse leaders, educators, and researchers that may address issues of sex bias and promote greater sexual diversity within nursing.

Mitigating Knowledge Loss: A Strategic Imperative for Nurse Leaders.

With the aging of the nursing workforce and expected retirement of large numbers of experienced nurses in the next decade, mitigating the impact that lost knowledge will have on organizational performance and patient outcomes is critical. The authors raise awareness of the problem, summarize observations procured from hospital nurse executive regarding approaches for knowledge transfer through workforce development, and pose proactive strategies for nurse leaders who can provide direction to offset the issue before it becomes a crisis.

Leadership responses to The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health IOM report.

A health system in the Pacific Northwest used a facilitator to engage physicians in a yearlong dialogue that increased nurse-physician valuing of each discipline_s contribution to patient care, improved communications, and led to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses gaining admitting privileges at the hospital. A hospital system in the East is modeling an online residency program connecting nurses in rural settings to a larger peer group to support their transition to practice. An academic health center in the Midwest now has nursephysician coleaders on all major services. Clinical care protocols and mutual problem solving have ignited an esprit de corps that is palpable to staff, patients, and families. A health system in the Southwest has reconfigured staff development programs to give support to midand senior-level careerists, critical players who have been under-resourced. Major nursing organizations are aligning to reestablish care and practice standards, with some designed to reflect key functional areas maximizing the range of nursing_s influence on the healthcare system, not captured in traditional nursing process language.

Developing Leaders as Systems Thinkers—Part II

Continued from last months column in which the demand for nurses as systems thinkers was defined, this months discussion now focuses on four systems thinking competencies. Having determined the differences between systematic thinking and systems thinking, these competencies will aid professional development educators in advancing systems thinking content and evaluation into programs.

A Gift to Self: Leadership Coaching

In this article, the distinction between mentoring, therapy, and coaching is made, with a focus on the value of leadership coaching. Seven attributes to consider when selecting a coach and a framework describing the value proposition for retaining a coach are presented.

Rankism in nursing and health care.

Professional development educators can frame their practice by understanding rankism from an organizational development framework. Forms and functions of rankism are presented with reference to the work of Robert Fuller.

Interprofessional Education: Background and Purpose, Part I.

Demands are increasing for an interprofessional workforce that can function in team-based care. The goals of interprofessional education and the value proposition surrounding the benefits of interprofessional education are framed. Factors to consider, including subject matter and faculty selection, are presented based on seven features of team performance.

Think Competencies, Not Hours, When Planning Your Next Education Initiative.

As the focus of health care is shifting from organization-centered to patient-centered care, education is also adjusting to new models that are more learner centered. Nursing professional development experts can benefit from the work that has been conducted in higher education and in professional development in teaching and medicine, where using competency based education is increasingly the norm. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(8):350-352.

Microaggression and Its Relevance in Health Care.

The concept of microaggression is introduced with the intent of encouraging professional development educators to advance the concept when providing leadership training and development. The use of education, rather than adjudication, is promoted.

Teasing leadership development out of clinical scenarios.

Staff development professionals increasingly use clinical simulation, case studies, and nonsimulated, real-time clinical performance for strengthening clinical judgment and corresponding action when training clinicians. Leadership competencies can also be strengthened and reinforced during these educational opportunities. Through debriefing and peer evaluation, clinical scenarios are rich with leadership development opportunities.