A profile of the structure and impact of nursing management in Canadian hospitals.
The purpose of this study was to describe the profile of nursing leadership structures in Canada and to assess relationships among structures, processes and outcomes pertaining to nurse leaders' work. Data were collected from nurse leaders in 28 academic health centres and 38 community hospitals in 10 Canadian provinces (n = 1,164). The results of this study revealed that the current contingent of nursing leaders in Canada see themselves as an empowered and influential group within their organizations. Despite very large spans of control, nurse leaders at all levels were positive about their work life and confident in their ability to provide effective leadership on nursing affairs within their organizations. Structural and process factors significantly affected nurse manager outcomes at all levels. Senior nurse leaders' work-life factors had a significant effect on middle and first-line managers' perceptions of patient care quality in the organization. Nurse leaders averaged 49 years of age highlighting the need for succession planning.
Laschinger
Heather K Spence
HK
School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Wong
Carol A
CA
Ritchie
Judith
J
D'Amour
Danielle
D
Vincent
Leslie
L
Wilk
Piotr
P
Stassen
Marjorie Armstrong
MA
Matthews
Sue
S
Saxe-Braithwaite
Marcy
M
Grinspun
Doris
D
Shamian
Judith
J
McCutcheon
Amy
A
Kerr
Michael
M
Macdonald-Rencz
Sandra
S
Oke
Barbara
B
Denney
Donna
D
White
Jerry
J
Almost
Joan
J
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000600:supply & distribution