Congress Abstracts 2006

302

MENTORING A FRONTLINE LEADER THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A MULTIDAY ANTINEOPLASTIC PATHWAY. Patricia Berning, RN, OCN^® , and Barb Johnson, RN, BSN, OCN^® , Good Samaritan Hospital, TriHealth, Cincinnati, OH.

Renewed interest in a shared leadership model in nursing has been fueled by Magnet Certification and evidence from quality, safety and job satisfaction. Oncology nursing has long understood the need for developing critical thinking and leadership skills. As administrators, managers and teachers, how do we ensure that our staff have the skills they need to succeed in this shared leadership model?

In an effort to meet this staff development challenge, our institution implemented a program from the Center for Frontline Nursing Leadership. One hundred nurses were selected to partake in this program. The purpose of the program is to develop individual strengths through a practicum project management process. Participants go through an extensive self assessment, identifying their leadership strengths and weaknesses. In tandem with a coach, the participant works to align their skills/challenges with a project that meets a goal of the institution. During the practicum the strengths are utilized and with the help of the coach the challenges are recognized and overcome.

As the coach, I worked with a participant from the inpatient oncology unit to select a project, updating and consolidating our chemotherapy pathways. At our scheduled meetings we discussed her personal growth needs. She established a timeline and identified her resources. Communicating with various hospital personnel and navigating systems is an important element of the process. This lays the foundation for future projects.

As each activity on the timeline was achieved, we evaluated her progress in meeting her own personal growth, developing her leadership skills. At the end of the semester the evaluation tool showed that we both found the process very beneficial. Through her efforts the pathway was developed, approved by Shared Leadership Committees, the Pathway Development Committee and the Cancer Committee. Next semester she will pilot and implement the pathway.