Nursing leadership in disasters - A scoping review with special references to competencies
Pekkarinen, Linnea (2019)
2019
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http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019112121760
http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019112121760
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The aim of this thesis was to map available evidence from literature to get an overview
of what is known of role of nurses in leadership during disasters. A scoping review
method was used to investigate existing literature. The objective was to identify key
arguments on importance of nurses’ leadership role in disasters, to identify competencies
essential in disaster nursing leadership and to observe what literature says about needs of
field of future disaster nursing leadership. Scoping review consisted total of 17 articles
published between 2014-2019. The analysis of included articles was conducted with
inductive content analysis method.
Key findings in nurses’ role in disaster leadership fell in four categories. Nurses provide
skills in leadership and knowledge in care during disasters and health care is dependent
on nurses because nurses are usually largest professional group in health care. Nurses are
expected to take role in leadership during disasters because nurses are trusted, it benefits
the population and leadership is assumed to be part of nursing. Unpredictability and
frequency of disasters puts health care leadership in pivotal demand, and therefore nurses
are expected to take role in leadership.
With core competencies for nurses’ in disaster leadership the results were clear: There is
no consensus on what the main competencies for disaster nursing leaders are and there is
vast paucity in literature concerning disaster leadership competencies. Even so, several
articles listed numerous skills, abilities and characteristics essential to nurse in leadership
role during disaster, which were then closer investigated in this thesis.
Three main categories were found describing future needs for disaster nursing leadership:
Field of study and strong scientific background needs to be developed. Education and
evidence-based competencies needs to be developed and recognition and
acknowledgement of nurses as leaders needs to be increased.
With this thesis, the importance of nurses’ leadership skills and training was highlighted
and evidence in nursing leadership during disasters was emphasized. The information this
thesis provides may be used as basic information for persons working in leader roles in
disaster and as part of educational purposes.
of what is known of role of nurses in leadership during disasters. A scoping review
method was used to investigate existing literature. The objective was to identify key
arguments on importance of nurses’ leadership role in disasters, to identify competencies
essential in disaster nursing leadership and to observe what literature says about needs of
field of future disaster nursing leadership. Scoping review consisted total of 17 articles
published between 2014-2019. The analysis of included articles was conducted with
inductive content analysis method.
Key findings in nurses’ role in disaster leadership fell in four categories. Nurses provide
skills in leadership and knowledge in care during disasters and health care is dependent
on nurses because nurses are usually largest professional group in health care. Nurses are
expected to take role in leadership during disasters because nurses are trusted, it benefits
the population and leadership is assumed to be part of nursing. Unpredictability and
frequency of disasters puts health care leadership in pivotal demand, and therefore nurses
are expected to take role in leadership.
With core competencies for nurses’ in disaster leadership the results were clear: There is
no consensus on what the main competencies for disaster nursing leaders are and there is
vast paucity in literature concerning disaster leadership competencies. Even so, several
articles listed numerous skills, abilities and characteristics essential to nurse in leadership
role during disaster, which were then closer investigated in this thesis.
Three main categories were found describing future needs for disaster nursing leadership:
Field of study and strong scientific background needs to be developed. Education and
evidence-based competencies needs to be developed and recognition and
acknowledgement of nurses as leaders needs to be increased.
With this thesis, the importance of nurses’ leadership skills and training was highlighted
and evidence in nursing leadership during disasters was emphasized. The information this
thesis provides may be used as basic information for persons working in leader roles in
disaster and as part of educational purposes.