Upskilling Your Leaders in 2023

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

When executive nurse leaders ask me about key priorities for 2023, the upskilling of frontline nurse leaders is high on my list. The seismic demographic shifts in the nursing workforce and changes in how nurses view their work post-pandemic have significantly impacted the role of frontline leaders. When I ask groups of leaders today about their time in the role, the majority in many audiences have two years or less experience. Many nurse leaders retired due to their experiences with COVID, and more will retire in 2023.

In research conducted by AONL and the Joslin group in August 2022, 45% of nurse managers reported they are considering leaving their roles, with burnout and lack of work-life balance being the primary drivers. Less than half (47%) of nurse managers reported being emotionally healthy. Today’s frontline leadership roles are very demanding, especially in acute care environments. Gone are the days when nurse managers could depend on an experienced core group of charge nurses or assistant managers.

My research indicates that even in the best of times, more than half of all nurse leaders receive no formal leadership development before their transition, and fewer have mentors to help them.  Unfortunately, we spend more time worrying about new graduates’ transition than the managers supervise them.  Yet, we know from the data that front-line leaders are the linchpins in their organization that drive recruitment, retention, and staff performance.

Today’s nurse leader role is more like an NCAA Basketball Coach who may see 50-100% of their roster rotate each year into the NBA. Future nursing teams will be more like airline crews who come together for short periods to achieve set goals. There is a movement from teams to teaming (a term written about by Amy Edmonson). In a “teaming” environment, the nurse leader provides ballast for the team. Learning how to effectively be a nurse leader coach who communicates and provides real-time feedback is essential. Building a psychologically safe environment for nurses is crucial. The nurse leader is a teacher and coach in addition to being a leader. Nurse leaders must hardwire quality and safety into all the team does.

Nursing leadership is both an art and a science. A body of evidence-based knowledge supports good leadership practice, yet most nurses are not exposed to this in their education. We don’t know what we don’t know until we do. It is unfair to allow young nurse leaders to struggle to learn by trial and error. Being a good clinician with strong critical thinking skills does not necessarily translate into excellent leadership practices. For most organizations, the strongest ROI for a better future will be to upskill their frontline nurse leaders, so they have the tools and strategies to do their challenging work.