Leading for Effective Clinical Education

Abstract

Supportive clinical learning environments are dependent on effective interactions between staff and students (Henderson, Creedy, Boorman, Cooke & Walker., 2010a). Implicit in this description is the role of effective leaders who role-model change and promote positive work cultures. International reviews and research examining contemporary and historical influences on the nursing profession acknowledge the underdevelopment of leadership infrastructure within clinical learning settings. There are increasing calls for an agenda of change within the profession, yet little practical advice about ‘how’ to do this (Cummings et al., 2010; Davidson, Elliott & Daly, 2006; Heath, 2002; Senate Community Affairs Committee, 2002). The purpose of this study was to develop, apply and evaluate a leadership capacity building intervention on the clinical culture. This program of research commenced with a review of the literature via narrative synthesis around nursing and leadership, clinical learning and learning culture, and identified two broad themes: influence of leadership on organisational learning and development and; influence of leadership in undergraduate clinical education. Within these themes emerged factors/elements integral to effective leadership in contemporary clinical contexts including transformational principals, the role of the nurse unit/ward manager, collaboration and relationship building and role-modelling.