Background

Nursing leadership is integral to delivering quality care in the long-term care profession. Senior nurse leaders are the linchpins that connect staff, residents, families and resources to consistently fulfill quality care delivery. While rigorous systems and resources abound to drive the mastery of clinical expertise, no such system exits to guide and cultivate management competencies. Senior nurses often achieve their positions based on the requisite mastery of clinical expertise but have little opportunity to methodically identify and prepare for the host of management capabilities which are inherent in their advanced positions. The lack of consistent and standard management and leadership skills produces vulnerability that undermines the performance of crucial role of senior nurse leaders.

AHCA, through the Tena Sponsorship Program from SCA Incontinence Care, has launched the Competencies for Nurse Leaders in Long Term Care to pioneer the definition, assessment, and continuing development of our nurse leadership.

Expert Panelists

AHCA has contracted Dr. Dora Johnson of the Baldwin Center in Colorado to facilitate the project. Dr. Johnson is a recognized expert in the development of professional competencies with significant training and experience in education and nursing. In the fall of 2000, a nationally based panel of experts was identified and confirmed to serve the project through 2002. Expert panelists were identified and selected based on the following criteria:

• Specific work experience or relationship to the nurse leaders in LTC in a 360-degree capacity - i.e., currently a senior nurse leader, supervisor of a senior nurse leader, staff that directly reports to a senior nurse leader
• Representative of one of three long term care settings: skilled nursing, assisted living, residential services for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled
• Varied geographic representation
• Varied sizes of facility, e.g., independently owned, regional multi-facility and national multi-facility.

In addition to the expert panelists, AHCA solicited participation from other key stakeholder associations with a vested interest and expertise in the project and its success. These collaborating organizations have made in-kind contributions to this effort, including their attendance at meetings.

Below is the roster of the expert panelist and collaborating organizations.

Collaborating Organizations

The following organizations have joined the competency project and contribute their unique expertise in specific content areas. Representatives of these organizations participate fully in the process being undertaken.