How can nursing professionals, with many demands on their time, and often living in smaller, rural areas without access to university classrooms, develop the leadership skills needed to take on management positions in a clinical setting? 

That was the question driving the creation of Leadership for Nurses in Clinical Settings, a virtual learning project developed collaboratively by Trent University, Ontario Tech University, and nursing professionals in the field. 

“We really wanted to create something accessible,” says project lead Dr. Kirsten Woodend, an associate professor in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing. “Often, nursing professionals are managing work, family, and the rest of their lives. So how do we give them open access to learning that helps them to develop the skills they need to be clinical leaders? The answer was an online course they could complete on their own timeline.” 

Leadership for Nurses was designed as a graduate-level course for nurses who might be interested in, but not quite ready for, a master’s degree, such as the Trent-Ontario Tech M.Sc.N. (Professional Practice Leadership) program. 

The self-paced course comprises 12 chapters containing practical information on managerial tasks including budget and resource management, ethical and legal issues, and staff recruitment and retention – all from the perspective of experts working in the field. It also includes several self-evaluation exercises and worksheets, as well as video lectures featuring some of the authors. 

Prof. Woodend was joined by Dr. Manon Lemonde and Dr. Janet McCabe from Ontario Tech University, as well as Dr. Catherine Thibeault, associate professor in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, Cindy Clarke, community and experiential education coordinator for the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, Stephanie Ferguson, eLearning designer with Trent Online, and editor Deborah Kelly in developing this resource. The project is one of eight virtual learning initiatives, led by Trent University, funded through the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Virtual Learning Strategy. 

Network of knowledge

Engaging leaders in the nursing field amid a global pandemic was challenging, yet Prof. Woodend and the team were able to recruit 10 clinical nursing leaders to share their expertise. 

“Some really neat things happened in terms of making connections and partnerships. In fact, there was a bit of a snowball effect in getting people on board,” shares Prof. Woodend. “I'm learning about the value of this mesh of people, the intersectionality, and the way we interface in different ways and bring different perspectives.” 

Prof. Woodend explains that the partners would like to see the course launched as a micro-credential, or even 12 individual modules, which would allow nurses to focus on specific, certifiable skills they want to develop. 

When the teacher becomes the learner

Developing this course proved to be a fantastic learning experience for Prof. Woodend as well, equipping her with new digital skills and resources to apply in both the classroom and clinical settings. 

“It was amazing to work with Stephanie Ferguson, because there was lots to learn in terms of how to present information in ways that work well in a digital format,” says Prof. Woodend, laughingly sharing that she is now an H5P expert. “I am using Pressbooks to develop patient resources, and have hired a summer research assistant to convert an existing PDF resource for persons who are amputees who are osseo-integrated into an interactive, user-friendly resource using our newly acquired skills and resources.”