Establishment of Nurse Manager Leadership Competencies to Support Clinicians in Evidence-Based Practice

OBJECTIVE This 2-part study was conducted to validate nurse manager (NM) leadership competencies that support clinicians in using evidence-based practice (EBP). BACKGROUND Numerous studies validate the critical need for NM support among clinicians seeking to engage in EBP. METHODS In phase 1, a Delphi study was conducted to establish the validity of a set of NM leadership competencies that support EBP. In phase 2, descriptive analyses, tests of significance, and reliability coefficients were used to assess reliability. RESULTS An expert panel achieved consensus on a set of 22 NM leadership competencies that constitute effective support for EBP. Further quantitative analyses demonstrated excellent levels of internal consistency and overall consistent outcomes across time. CONCLUSION A valid set of 22 NM leadership competencies with evidence of reliability that successfully support clinicians to engage in EBP in clinical settings was established.