National Delphi study to determine competencies for nursing leadership in public health.
OBJECTIVE
To identify competencies needed by nurse leaders in public health programs.


METHODS
Five-round national Delphi.


METHODS
Convenience sample of members of major public health nursing associations and nurse and non-nurse public health leaders in the USA.


METHODS
Mailed survey in 1994-1995 using a modified snowball technique based on a modification of the Pew Foundation health professions' competencies for Round 1. Four additional rounds produced consensus.


RESULTS
Initially, 62 competencies were identified. Factor analysis resulted in four factors: political competencies, business acumen, program leadership, and management capabilities; 57 competencies were clustered in the four groupings and accounted for 91.4% of the variance.


CONCLUSIONS
Graduate schools in nursing and public health must prepare students with broad-based competencies from a variety of disciplines. Findings of this national survey provide a database for curriculum development and evaluation of programs to prepare nurse leaders for roles in public health-based delivery systems.
Misener
T R
TR
University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, Columbia 29208, USA.
Alexander
J W
JW
Blaha
A J
AJ
Clarke
P N
PN
Cover
C M
CM
Felton
G M
GM
Fuller
S G
SG
Herman
J
J
Rodes
M M
MM
Sharp
H F
HF
D003479:Curriculum; D003697:Delphi Technique; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D011361:Professional Competence; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States