Nurse Clinician Leadership Development in One of Canada’s Largest Tertiary Hospitals

Informed by participatory action research, this thesis adhered to all Royal Roads University ethics guidelines and explored how Alberta Health Services might support the leadership development needs of nurse clinicians at one of Canada’s largest tertiary hospitals. Through virtual one-on-one interviews and an online survey, the findings revealed nurse clinicians want to participate in leadership development opportunities and contribute their input and expertise on site initiatives. The findings also highlighted the multifaceted roles and responsibilities of nurse clinicians. Use of an appreciative lens in the study encouraged participant engagement and enabled nurse clinicians to express their perspectives in a constructive way. The recommendations for nurse clinician leadership development included creating mentoring opportunities, implementing an annual workshop, sponsoring the development of a nurse clinician community of practice, providing opportunities for nurse clinicians to contribute their input to site initiatives, and developing a standardized provincial job description for the nurse clinician position.