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ABSTRACT
A management development program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore addresses the competency needs of 68 nurse managers. Orientation of new nurse managers is a significant component of the program. The orientation is based on performance standards and identification of organizational resources and opportunities to assist the managers to meet the standards. A convenience sample of 10 nurse managers, assistant directors, and directors of nursing reviewed the program 1 year after implementation and found it had improved the quality of orientation by providing structure and organization. The model can be applied to other institutions and practice roles.
Tricia* had been a nurse manager for a short time when she was informed that she must convert her medical cardiac unit to a cardiac telemetry unit. Managing the necessary staff development, financial planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration proved challenging. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital, new nurse managers receive an extensive orientation designed to prepare them for this type of change. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a nurse manager orientation program. Preliminary evaluation data are reported and implications for future program development are discussed.
As health care changes accelerate, nurse managers must leam new skills and adapt to the changing currents of management in unique settings and situations. For the nurse manager who is new to the role or the institution, orientation should direct learning and enable the manager to meet preset role standards and address future health care challenges.
At the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, with 68 nurse managers, specific orientation guidelines were developed. The design of the guidelines assured that all new nurse managers were provided with consistent strategies and resources to facilitate the achievement of the nurse manager performance standards. The guidelines are used during the first year of employment as a planning tool to assure a comprehensive orientation.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to the American Organization of Nurse Executives (1992), the nurse manager serves as a link between the larger vision of the organization and unit-based delivery of effective, high quality patient care. The importance of education for the nurse manager has increased as the complexity of the role has increased.
Chase (1994) stated that first line managers can influence the success of the...