Maximizing Team Performance: The Critical Role of the Nurse Leader

Facilitating team development is challenging, yet critical for ongoing improvement across healthcare settings. The purpose of this exemplary case study is to examine the role of nurse leaders in facilitating the development of a high‐performing Change Team in implementing a patient safety initiative (TeamSTEPPs) using the Tuckman Model of Group Development as a guiding framework. The case study is the synthesis of 2.5 years of critical access hospital key informant interviews (n = 50). Critical juncture points related to team development and key nurse leader actions are analyzed, suggesting that nurse leaders are essential to maximize clinical teams' performance.     

The Executive Nurse Leader in Service Line Management:: An Experience of a Hospital Health System

Complex health care delivery systems are often organized around the management of specific patient populations or service lines across ambulatory and inpatient settings and the executive nurse leader is the most suitable clinical professional to provide visionary leadership in a dyad with a senior physician for a service line. This article describes the unique experience of a system hospital and the successes of the executive nurse leader as the co-lead in service line management.     

Expanding Clinical Models of Nurse Practitioner Education: Service Learning as a Curricular Strategy

A context-relevant curriculum is responsive to educational and societal demands. Nurse practitioner (NP) faculty members are challenged to prepare practitioners to provide high-quality compassionate care to diverse populations. Changes in the health care environment, a limited number of clinical sites and preceptors, and competition for access to clinical sites necessitate creative solutions and curriculum development. Service learning, as a curricular strategy, facilitated NP students to achieve academic course goals, appreciate the NP role working with underserved populations, and translate classroom knowledge to the clinical environment.