Nurse Residency Program Leader · Nurse Residency Program Leader as an Emerging Nursing Professional Development Specialist Role Kendra Varner, MSN, RN-BC ƒ Cindra Holland, DNP,

Nurse Residency Program Leaderas an Emerging Nursing ProfessionalDevelopment Specialist Role

Kendra Varner, MSN, RN-BC ƒ Cindra Holland, DNP, RNC-OB, ACNS-BC ƒJim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC ƒ Ruth Leeds, BSN, MS, RN-BC

Literature about nurse residency programs has increased

over the past decade, but few authors focus on the

person(s) responsible for the program. This multifaceted

role has a direct effect on program outcomes and the future

of nursing through effectively facilitating transition in

professional practice. Blending theory, experience, and

application of practice standards, the authors describe the

nurse residency program leader as a transition specialist

emerging within the context of nursing professional

development.

Nurse residency program (NRP) refers to a supportprogram designed to facilitate the newly licensednurse’s initial transition into professional practice

(Krugman et al., 2006), although ‘‘nurse residency’’ can referto programs across the spectrum of experience (Instituteof Medicine, 2010). Spector and Echternacht (2011) ob-served diverse vernacular for nursing transition programs.Nomenclature for individual(s) administering these programsvaries greatly as well, including program-specific personnel

titles like nurse residency director, manager, coordinator, orfacilitator (Krugman et al., 2006). Other more general titlesinclude clinical nurse specialist, education coordinator, andnursing professional development specialist (Anderson,Hair, & Todero, 2012; Park & Jones, 2010; Ready, Fater,Conley, Rebello,&Cordeira, 2012). Program reporting struc-tures also differ such as to a manager versus to a vicepresident. Variety among assigned divisions exists withnursing professional development (NPD) departments, hu-man resources, or an organization-wide education branchhousing the NRP.

Ideally, a hierarchy of personnel should exist (Anderson,Hair, & Todero, 2012; Krugman et al., 2006); however, inthe authors’ experience, the NRP leader may be a part- orfull-time nurse educator solely responsible for program de-velopment, implementation, and evaluation, while alsoparticipating in individual nurse recruitment, orientation,and retention. Furthermore, this educator may hold addi-tional roles such as nursing school liaison, staff educator,or quality improvement nurse, resulting in role confusionand strain. Despite nursing leadership input and support,this individual often struggles to manage the program withvolunteer facilitators, preceptors, and mentors whileattempting to ensure positive program outcomes and stake-holder satisfaction and striving for quality improvement.

All these factors contribute to role ambiguity for theleader, residents, and nurse colleagues. Because of the ob-served lack of uniformity, the authors chose the generaltitle NRP leader to refer to the person(s) primarily respon-sible for program oversight including the educational andadministrative functions. The term nurse resident will referto any nurse within the NRP leader’s sphere of influence.

NRP Leader as an Emerging NPD RoleTo be an NPD specialist, one must be a registered nursewith expertise in nursing education. This individual ‘‘in-fluences professional role competence and professionalgrowth of nurses in a variety of settings; supports lifelonglearning of nursesI and fosters an appropriate climateforIthe adult learning process’’ (National Nursing StaffDevelopment Organization [NNSDO] & American NursesAssociation [ANA], 2010, p. 44). The NRP leader works

Kendra Varner, MSN, RN-BC, is Assistant Professor, Kettering College,Dayton.

Cindra Holland, DNP, RNC-OB, ACNS-BC, is Assistant Professor,Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, is ExecutiveDirector of TheNurse ResidencyPartnership, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Ruth Leeds, BSN, MS, RN-BC, is Education Coordinator, KetteringMedical Center, Dayton, Ohio.

Notifications of conflict of interest and sources of funding: There is noknown conflict of interest among the authors regarding this publication.It is their original work on this topic. Therewas no funding for this project;each author contributed the material on their own time. Collectively, theauthors have almost 20 years of residency leadership experience withinfive different programmodels. Privileged to have published andpublicallypresented their insights regarding nurse residency program developmentand implementation, they now seek to contribute their perspective on theuniquely multifaceted NRP leader role.

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Kendra Varner, MSN, RN-BC,Kettering College, 3737 Southern Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429 (e-mail:[email protected]).

DOI: 10.1097/NND.0b013e3182a1a853

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with nurse residents to ensure role competence and sup-ports their professional growth, including facilitatinglifelong learning using adult learning principles and a sup-portive climate. Thus, an NRP leader is clearly an NPDspecialist.

However, the NRP leader role goes beyond the NPDspecialist description, such as influencing the organiza-tion’s culture, collaborating with human resources forhiring and orientation, and being a performance coachfor nurse residents. It involves acting as a public relationsofficer, marketing representative, retention specialist, pro-gram manager, advocate, and counselor. The authors per-ceive themultifacetedNRP leader as a unique role emergingwithin NPDVa transition specialist. Key elements of thisrole include power equalization, organizational connected-ness, transition management, and co-creating a relationshipwith the nurse resident. In contrast to the current situationwhere organizational needs, budget, and executive expec-tations often influence performance, the authors believethat the NRP leader role and responsibilities need to beclearly defined and based on theory, current literature,and nursing professional practice standards with consider-ation of contextual factors.

REVIEW OF LITERATURERole Transition Within Nursing PracticeBy nature of the role, the NRP leader works predominatelywith adults in transition; thus, a broad theoretical un-derstanding of the role transition process, its effect onnursing practice, and basic transition management skillsare essential. Transition comprises the internal physical,psychological, emotional, and spiritual adaptive processesinvolved with an external change event, such as assuminga new nursing role (Rich, 2010). An individual may un-dergo 10Y20 transitions over a lifetime (Williams, 1999);transition categories include developmental, situational,health-illness related, and/or organizational (Anderson,Goodman, & Schlossberg, 2012; Meleis, 2010). Any rolechange is a significant life event and often produces stressleading to anxiety, ineffective coping, and even clinical de-pression (Duchscher, 2008; Meleis, 2010; Williams, 1999).Thus, a nurse’s impaired transition could pose immediateconcerns regarding the quality of care and patient safety.

Although the actual change event may occur quickly,transition involves three phases with critical points experi-enced usually over 8 months or longer. The initial stage, or‘‘doing’’ involves letting go of former identity and ismarkedby an initial elation that masks an underlying grief process(Bridges, 2009;Duchscher, 2008;Williams, 1999). Themid-dle crisis stage is challenging as the person seeks tocognitively adapt to the change, or ‘‘being’’ the nurse. Thisstage often involves a crisis of confidence or defining mo-ment, where the person decides to continue forward or to

return to the former state (Duchscher, 2008; Williams, 1999).The final ‘‘knowing’’ stage ideally results in skill mastery andintegration of the new nurse identity (Duchscher, 2008;Meleis, 2010). Complications can occur with multiple simul-taneous or sequential transitions within a short time (Bridges,2009; Duchscher, 2008; Meleis, 2010; Williams, 1999).

Transition ManagementAnNRP leader naturally acts as a transitionmanager, formallyor informally providing an essential stabilizing presence andbeneficial interventions for the nurse resident to help bridgethe expectationYreality gap. The nurse resident can evalu-ate transition assets and liabilities encompassing economic,emotional, physical health, transition skills, supportivework environment, and transition support factors (Anderson,Goodman, & Schlossberg, 2012; Williams, 1999). The NRPleader can assist a nurse resident to positively change thesefactors through educating, building on individual strengths,providing support, and encouraging healthy coping strate-gies during the transition process.

Other transition-related nursing interventions includeassessment of readiness that may involve a trial transition,debriefing, and role supplementation (Schumacher &Meleis, 1994). Tohelp identify actual or potential role insuf-ficiency, theNRP leadermay provide role supplementationby heightening awareness of nursing behaviors, sentiments,sensations, and goals related to the new role. TheNRP leaderprovides support for nurses experiencing all categoriesof transition, as well as their families taken unaware bytransition’s ripple effect that forces reciprocal changes amongsignificant others (Bridges, 2009; Meleis, 2010; Williams,1999). Beyond transition management, the NRP leaderrole involves a range of educational and administrativeresponsibilities.

Description of Residency Leader Roleand Responsibilities

Other DisciplinesA sample of literature from other disciplines including med-icine, pharmacy, academic libraries, and chaplaincy offeredinteresting perspectives on the residency leader role andresponsibilities. Whereas most authors focused on the edu-cational and administrative aspects of the role, a few specif-ically addressed the person(s) responsible for the program,their preparation for the role, and related aspects of the role(Gaiser & Troxell, 2011; O’Sullivan, Heard, Petty, Mercado,& Hicks, 2006; Otterstad, 2003; Webber, Mullins, Chen, &Meltzer, 2012). O’Sullivan et al. summarized the subroles in-herent to residency leadership with the acronym EASE:educator, administrator, scholar, and evaluator.

The authors found less variation in residency programleadership nomenclature in other disciplines; predominanttitles were program dean/director and assistant/associate

Journal for Nurses in Professional Development www.jnpdonline.com 3


program director (Boiselle et al., 2007; Marr, Billings, &Weissman, 2007; O’Sullivan et al., 2006; Webber et al.,2012; Winegardner, Davis, Szandzik, & Kalus, 2010). Re-garding reporting structures, a hierarchy of leadershipexisted (Webber et al., 2012). Residency leaders predomi-nately worked within academia-potential employer coop-eratives with postgraduate residents (Brewer & Winston,2001; Derrickson & VanHise, 2010).

The authors found many commonalities in the resi-dency program leaders’ responsibilities across thevarious disciplines (see Table 1). These responsibilitiesincluded organizational involvement, recruitment, qual-ity improvement, professional development, programevaluation, and career guidance. They aligned with theauthors’ experiences as NRP leaders and the limitedavailable nursing literature.

Within NursingSome authors explored nurse educator involvement dur-ing situational transitions, such as job change triggeredby education and levels of practice; however, they pri-marily focused on specific aspects such as the experience,mentoring, transition education, learning environment, useof debriefing, and program implementation and evaluation(Delaney & Piscopo, 2007; Hansen, 2011; Keller, Meekins,& Summers, 2006; Wieland, Altmiller, Dorr, & Wolf, 2007;Winfield, Melo, & Myrick, 2009). Typically assigned to as-sociate degree or baccalaureate nurses, NRP leaders areemployed by the hiring organization and may or may notwork collaborativelywith an academic institution (Holland& Moddeman, 2012). In accredited NRP programs, lead-ers are involved in resident certification and researchparticipation (Krugman et al., 2006). Existing literatureaddressing the person(s) responsible for working withnurses in new roles usually addressed responsibilities in-cluding orientation, monitoring clinical progress, anddidactic presentation; authors also mentioned nurse ad-vocacy, psychosocial support, and career guidance (Keahey,2008; Krugman et al., 2006; Ready et al., 2012; Varner &Leeds, 2012).

Challenges and Benefits of the NRP Leader RoleRole strain was a prevalent theme in the literature, be-cause of the breadth of responsibilities. Challenges in-cluded addressing immediate program demands andresident tracking, along with adhering to an educationschedule (Otterstad, 2003). O’Sullivan et al. (2006) citedthe heightened expectation for program leaders to par-ticipate in scholarly activities, such as presentations,writing for publication, and research. Varying degreesof organizational support, financial considerations likebudget and payroll, and a need for professional develop-

ment also added to role stress (Boiselle et al., 2007;Brewer & Winston, 2001; Derrickson & VanHise, 2010;Webber et al., 2012; Winegardner et al., 2010). The cur-rent multigenerational workforce presents uniquedifficulties for leaders seeking to juggle administrativeand educational tasks while attempting to engender orga-nizational commitment (Carver & Candela, 2008).

TABLE 1 Residency Program Leaders’ Roleand Responsibilities (Nonnursing)

Organizational Involvement

& Program liaison with leadership (Boiselle et al., 2007;Brewer & Winston, 2001; Otterstad, 2003).

& Staff interaction (Derrickson & VanHise, 2010; Otterstad,2003).

& Orientation (Boiselle et al., 2007; Otterstad, 2003;Winegardner et al., 2010).

& Policy enforcement (Gaiser & Troxell, 2011).

Recruitment& Recruitment and/or selection of quality candidates(Boiselle et al., 2007; Brewer & Winston, 2001; Otterstad,2003; O’Sullivan et al, 2006; Webber et al., 2012).

Program Accreditation/Quality Improvement& Involvement in program accreditation, development,implementation, and/or quality improvement(Boiselle et al., 2007; Brewer & Winston, 2001;Derrickson & VanHise, 2010; Gaiser & Troxell, 2011;Marr et al., 2007; O’Sullivan et al., 2006; Otterstad, 2003;Webber et al., 2012; Winegardner et al., 2010).

Professional Development& Facilitation of professional developmentVdirectlyand/or via subject matter experts (Boiselle et al., 2007;Brewer & Winston, 2001; Derrickson & VanHise, 2010;Gaiser & Troxell, 2011; Marr et al., 2007; O’Sullivan et al.,2006; Otterstad, 2003; Webber et al., 2012;Winegardner et al., 2010).

Program Evaluation& Evaluation of program effectiveness via residentperformance, educator feedback, program retentionas well as documentation of program metrics andevaluation for accreditation (Boiselle et al., 2007;Brewer & Winston, 2001; Derrickson & VanHise,2010; Marr et al., 2007; O’Sullivan et al., 2006; Otterstad,2003; Webber et al., 2012; Winegardner et al., 2010).

Career Guidance& Participation in remediation, individualized careerplan development, professional mentoring, personal-lifesupport as well as postresidency placement assistanceand follow-up like recommendation letters (Boiselle et al,2007; Brewer & Winston, 2001; Derrickson & VanHise,2010).



Given the challenges associatedwith the role, Gaiser andTroxell (2011) and Kane (2010) eloquently addressed therationale for becoming a residency program leaderVtheunique relationship afforded to the leader in the lives ofthe residents. The residency program leader is often thefirst person to congratulate or extend sympathy to a res-ident on personal life events, recognize professionalachievements, and debrief after a crisis such as a firstcode or medication error. ‘‘The relationship between aresident and a program director is uniqueI(he) caresfor the residents beyond their education’’ (Gaiser &Troxell, 2011, p. 173). The essence of the residency leaderrole ismaking a difference in someone’s life; theNRP leaderprovides care to nurses in transition.

NRP LEADER AND NPDNPD DomainsOnce conceptualized as overlapping domains, NPD in-volves professional development, continuing education,and academic education (NNSDO & ANA, 2010). Perhaps,more than any other NPD specialist, the NRP leader roleserves as a living connection among these domains (seeFigure 1). The NRP leader may promote lifelong learningas a continuing education provider, by pursuing additionaleducation and serving as mentor for nurse residents andexperienced nurses pursuing academic degrees. Fromrecruiting at local schools of nursing to orientation withinan acute care setting and providing online learning,community-based initiatives, and research, the NRP leadermust be versatilewithin all NPDpractice domains and realmsof responsibilities. As an NPD specialist, the NRP leader

should adhere to the scope and standards of practice (NNSDO& ANA, 2010) while functioning within these domains.

Scope of PracticeAs an NPD specialist, the NRP leader must function effec-tively within two environments: clinical practice andlearning. Currently, the most common practice environ-ment is the inpatient acute care setting; the learningenvironment may be the physical classroom, bedside,and simulation laboratory settings as well as the indepen-dent self-directed learning and virtual environments. Thepractice environments include the social and cultural settingand are subject to government regulations and initiativesand trends within health care and the nursing profession.Meeting the needs of the practice setting, the NPD specialist’sscope of responsibility is broad and demanding (NNSDO&ANA, 2010).

Standards of Practice and Professional PerformanceThe NRP leader’s educational and administrative respon-sibilities should reflect the standards of practice andprofessional performance (Table 2; NNSDO & ANA,2010). Mirroring the nursing process, the NRP leader as-sesses educational needs, identifies issues and trendsamong the organization and learners, and then, works withall stakeholders to ascertain desired outcomes. After programplanning and development, the NRP leader coordinates ac-tivities and resources while managing the learning en-vironments to ensure effective program implementation.Evaluating the program and learner outcomes enablesthe NRP leader to ensure the program remains cost effec-tive, efficient, and relevant.

FIGURE 1 Nurse residency program leader: Transition specialist.



Regarding the NPD Standards of Professional Perfor-mance, the NRP leader engages in quality improvement, en-suring professional competence through lifelong learning;adopts reflective practices; and solicits professional feed-

back via collegiality and collaboration. Professional ethicsdrive performance, particularly in the areas of advocacy,research, and resource utilization within the NRP leader’srole fulfillment. Leadership is inherent to the role, whether

TABLE 2 Nursing Professional Practice (NPD) Standards Summary (NNSDO & ANA, 2010)Standards of NPD Practice

Standard Description/measurement criteria

1. Assessment Data collections related to educational needs.

2. Identification of issuesand trends

Analyze to determine needs of individuals and organizations.

3. Outcomes identification Desired by learners, educators, and other key stakeholders; includes revising outcomes anddocumentation.

4. Planning Program development aimed to achieve expected outcomes; includes individualized content,adult learning concepts, and instructional design, marketing, and documentation.

5. Implementation Effective project management within organizational systems and based on evidence-basedknowledge.

Involves the following:

& CoordinationVlearning activities; human, financial, community resources.

& Learning and practice environmentVintegration of strategies and content to promote positivelearning and practice environments.

& ConsultationVprovides theoretically sound recommendations and information to influenceplans and effect change.

6. Evaluation Involvement of learners and stakeholders using valid evaluationmethods to measure attainment ofoutcomes; revise program based on data; documentation and dissemination of results

Standards of Professional Performance

7. Quality of NPD practice Engages in ongoing quality improvement of the NPD practice through utilization of thenursing process, current research, creativity, and skills.

8. Education Identifies personal learning needs and acquires knowledge to ensure competency.

9. Professional practiceevaluation

Evaluation of own practice via personal reflection and solicited feedback from learners, peers,and supervisors; establishes goals based on feedback.

10. Collegiality Contributes to positive learning and work environment by sharing knowledge and skills withpeers, students, healthcare consumers, and providers.

11. Collaboration Establishes partnerships with others to effect change and foster positive health outcomes bymeans of education, consultation, and program management.

12. Ethics Integration of code of ethics into practice evidenced by absence of discrimination andcommercial bias, protection of intellectual property, maintaining confidentiality, and so forth.

13. Advocacy Represent learners and educate regarding rights and responsibilities; protect rights of individ-uals; support learning for self and others.

14. Research Use of best evidence to guide practice; supporting nurse’s involvement in research.

15. Resource utilization Consideration of safety, effectiveness, cost, and impact for learning activities and outcomes;human, financial, and materials resource allocation.

16. Leadership Assumes leadership role; provides guidance and knowledge to facilitate professional growth inothers; advances nursing profession and NPD.



by facilitating professional growth in others through guid-ance and sharing knowledge or by seeking to advanceNPD specifically or the nursing profession as a whole.

Operationalization of the NRP Leader RoleWithin NPDExperts described an NPD specialist role as involvingintertwining elements of professional development in nurs-ing practice: educator, facilitator, academic liaison, commu-nicator, researcher, consultant, collaborator, advisor, mentor,change agent, and team member (NNSDO & ANA, 2010). Anumber of factors influence the operationalization of theNRP leader role, including the type of healthcare setting,organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plans. Otherfactors are the organizational structure including the sizeof the health system, the need tomove between facilities, sizeof the staff education department, and available resources.

Educator and/or FacilitatorThe NRP leader develops and implements an educationalprogram aimed at successful transition through professionaldevelopment.Whether in class or during clinical rounds, theNRP leader is often simultaneously assessing learning needsand validating clinical competence and program outcomes,while fostering a positive learning climate (NNSDO & ANA,2010). Whether providing the education using effectiveteaching methods or facilitating learning through a subject-matter expert, the NRP leader uses available resourcesand adapts to the organization’s setting. Ideally, the or-ganizational structure will remain flexible for qualityimprovement changes and to ensure a positive return onexpectations, including nurse resident satisfaction, profes-sional development, patient outcomes, and organizationalreturn on investment (Hansen, 2011).

Educator and/or Academic LiaisonWithin the educator/academic liaison elements, the NRPleadermentors nurse residents andmay serve as a preceptorfor colleagues pursuing graduate degrees. As a visionaryleader, this individual may chair the program’s curriculumcommittee and participate in academic forums. The NRPleader role extendsbeyond theorganization to includeman-aging positive relationship with local nursing schools andactively participating in professional organizations. Both aresource and a provider, the NRP leader supports educa-tional opportunities in the organization and beyond.

Change Agent and/or Team MemberThe NRP leader is a natural change agent within the orga-nization, with the potential to influence the community,state, national, and international arenas. Awareness of thecurrent healthcare issues, educational trends, and organi-zational factors prompts the NRP leader regarding the

need for changewithin the program and enables the leaderto devise solutions to program challenges. The leader sup-ports organizational changes such as a new electronichealth information system implementation along withbreaking down interprofessional and intraprofessional silosby inviting the representatives from other departments toparticipate in residency class sessions. ‘‘Administrativeleaders need to recognize that NRPs are a way to changethe organizational culture by emphasizing relationshipbuilding and collaborative practice’’ (Anderson, Hair, &Todero, 2012, p. 209).

Researcher and/or ConsultantEvidence-based practice and practice-based evidenceare at the heart of NPD (NNSDO & ANA, 2010). As anNPD specialist, the NRP leader integrates theory, currentresearch evidence, and national standards (NationalCouncil of State Boards of Nursing, 2012), along with ed-ucational and clinical expertise to develop an evidence-based educational transition support program congruentwith stakeholder values. At the same time, the leadermust use practice-based evidence to maintain a relevantprogram (Varner & Leeds, 2012). The leader must alsodetermine the most effective research-based educationalmethods within the particular learning environmentamong the resident-learner population, aimed at achiev-ing desired program outcomes (Anderson, Hair, &Todero, 2012). Opportunities may arise for the leaderto participate with research projects, such as evaluationtool validation. The NRP leader directly influences re-search utilization and attitudes toward research amongnurse residents. Accurate data collection to monitor res-ident progress influences residency program evaluation(Otterstad, 2003).

Leader and/or CommunicatorWith administrative support, the NRP leader aligns the pro-gram with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.The NRP leader strives to ensure that residency programobjectives are met as well as organizational goals areachieved. With a vision for the program, this individualuses problem-solving, diplomacy, and communicationskills to ensure human and material resource allocation.Often responsible for overall program outcomes, includingcost efficacy, the residency program leader role has aunique managerial facet compared with other professionaldevelopment roles (Otterstad, 2003). The NRP leader pro-motes NPD as a specialty in various ways, such as by at-taining new credentials and maintaining ethical principles.

Collaborator, Advisor, and/or MentorThe NRP leader serves as the organization’s representativewith local academic institutions and collaborates with pro-fessional organizations to support lifelong learning and to



influence legislative support for nurse residents. Anderson,Hair, and Todero (2012) indicated the importance of intra-professional socialization; the NRP leader is an essentialmentor sharing personal strategies related to professionalnursing role adaptation. A model of professionalism, the NRPleader advises nurse residents as they develop a career devel-opment plan and then mentors them during its execution.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICEEssential NRP Leader Competencies

Career DevelopmentAs a mentor, the NRP leader needs to participate and pro-mote involvement in professional organizations. The NRPleader must be knowledgeable of professional develop-ment resources within and outside of the organizationand be willing to link nurse residents and preceptors withthese resources. The NRP leader must have effective oraland written communication skills and model critical think-ing. Because of the unique challenges associated withfacilitating transition, theNRP leadermust provide compas-sionate yet balanced guidance. As an evolving specialistrole, the NRP leader must accept personal responsibilityfor his or her career development by seeking advancededucation, in addition to attending annual professionalconferences and workshops throughout the year.

EducationThe NRP leader needs to create and maintain a positivelearning environment, be able to assess learner character-istics, and be competent in a variety of teaching methodsand learning validation while incorporating technology.The NRP leader must embrace innovative educationalmethods to successfully develop a quality program(NNSDO & ANA, 2010). The NRP leader needs to be com-petent in program design and curriculum development andhave a strong theoretical base related to transition manage-ment and adult learning within both classroom and clinicalenvironments. The NRP leader will need strong interper-sonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to develop amultigenerational program. Specific educational compe-tency statements for the NRP leader include the following:

n Facilitates learning by integrating a variety of teach-ing methods, including technology, into the NRP.

n Provides clinical preceptor development by teach-ing critical reasoning strategies for nurse residentinteraction.

n Uses current evaluation methods involving patientnarratives to determine learner-centered programoutcomes.

LeadershipThe NRP leader competencies include adherence tonursing regulations and standards of ethical decision

making. The NRP leader must remain abreast of currenttrends, research, and evidence-based practice to ensurethe program remains relevant. The NRP leader enactschange in light of organizational, regional, national, and in-ternational contextual factors. Organizational skills, financialplanning, and effective resource utilization for the programare essential for residency leaders (Otterstad, 2003). Thus, acompetency statement might be, ‘‘the NRP leader maxi-mizes human and fiscal resources for optimum programoutcomes and organizational benefit.’’ While advocating forthe program, the NRP leader communicates successes withthe executive andnursing leadership teams and shares, chal-lenges, and facilitates problem solving while maintainingconfidentiality.

Program and Project ManagementProgram andprojectmanagement competency are essentialfor theNRP leader as the individual primarily responsible forthe program. The NRP leader needs to market the programeffectively, such as recruiting at local schools of nursing andmaintaining a Web site. Naturally, the NRP leader needs toparticipate in the financial planning process to ensure ade-quate resource allocation. The person must be able toexecute projects and the overall program, while balancingefficiency, cost effectiveness, innovation, and creativity.

Practical Role Implementation Considerations

NRP Leader PreparationThe appropriate preparation and selection of theNRP leaderis essential to achieve optimal program outcomes. As anNPD specialist, the NRP leadermust be a licensed registerednurse with a graduate degree in nursing; national certifica-tion is strongly recommended (NNSDO & ANA, 2010).Experience in business administration, academia, and pro-fessional development helps ensure program outcomes(O’Sullivan et al., 2006). Given the level of academic prep-aration coupled with established NPD competencies, theNRP leader should be an advanced practice nurse educa-tor specialized in transition management. However, issuesrelated to advanced practice role clarity, professional iden-tity, and intraprofessional implications exist internationally(Lowe, Plummer, O’Brien, & Boyd, 2012).

Candidate CharacteristicsPersonal and professional attributes are relevant to bothleader selection and program success. Brewer (1997) indi-cated outstanding program coordinators as ‘‘providing abroad perspective of the organization, providing moral sup-port, creating learning opportunities, and providing feedback’’(p. 533). Former residents identified important attributes asstrong mentoring skills, availability, and provision of con-structive feedback, along with familiarity with staff andorganization. Anderson, Goodman, and Schlossberg (2012)



highlighted the importance of the ‘‘core conditions’’ of em-pathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive respect torelationship-building with adults in transition. Further-more, the individual needs to be flexible and open toworking a range of hours with varied responsibilities eachweek, often within a system challenged by finite humanand material resources.

NetworkingOtterstad (2003) and O’Sullivan et al. (2006) mentionedmedical residency program leader associations and annualmeetings for professional development and education.Although such support exists within NPD and amongproprietary NRPs, collaboration among all types of NRPprograms would greatly enhance the development ofhigh-quality programs, allow for superb networking op-portunities, and provide essential support for this specialtysubgroup.

Other ConsiderationsWorkload expectations must be balanced and reasonablefor the NRP leader to function optimally. The organizationneeds to allow flexible scheduling to fulfill professional re-sponsibilities, including research, publication, communityinvolvement, and program administration (NNSDO & ANA,2010). Organizational structure and job title for the NRPleader are extremely important considerations, as they affectessential collegial relationships inherent in program im-plementation. An NPD leader needs physical workspaceconducive to educational planning, and an adequate pro-gram budget is essential.

Research PotentialMore research needs to be done regarding the effect of theleaderYresident relationship as a factor in program outcomes(Rich, 2010) as well as specialized leader development(O’Sullivan et al., 2006). Satisfaction and longevity in medicalresidency leadership is a significant concern with annualturnover ranging from 10% to 20% with a mean tenure of3Y5 years (Boiselle et al., 2007; Sanford, 2010; Webberet al., 2012). Similar figures in NRP leadership would affectNRP program quality and succession planning. Furthermore,research is needed regarding strategies to promote healthypersonal and professional transitions for nurses, includingreadiness assessment and use of role supplementationwithinthe NRP leaderYresident nurse relationship (Meleis, 2010).

CONCLUSIONIn light of the NRP evolution, increasing support by na-tional agencies, and a growing body of research, the NRPleader role needs to be clearly defined. Emerging withinthe context of NPD, the NRP leader is a specialist work-ing with nurses in transition by bridging the gap between

academia, continuing education, the community, and pro-fessional development. Informed by theory and current lit-erature while adhering to professional practice standards,the NRP leader is uniquely poised to affect the future ofnursing.

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Nurse Residency Program Leader · Nurse Residency Program Leader as an Emerging Nursing Professional Development Specialist Role Kendra Varner, MSN, RN-BC ƒ Cindra Holland, DNP,