Effectiveness of Nursing Management Educational Program upon Head Nurses Knowledge Regarding Patient Management

Abstract

Background: Over the past few decades, the role of the Director of the Nursing Unit (head nurse) has
developed considerably globally, from the head nurse who supervisor to patient care and nursing staff
and the needs of the ward from all the necessary supplies for nursing care in the ward to the role of the
manager nurse who plays a broader role through his oversight of all Nursing ward in the hospital, staff
employment and ward quality, development and retention. Previously the head nurses were responsible for
the care of clinical patients only in the ward, and their duty was only patient. Objectives: Implement the
nursing management education program for the study group. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design
is carried out throughout the present study with the application of test-retest approach for the study and
control groups from March 24th 2019 to Feb 19th 2020. Settings of the Study: This study was conducted at
the nursing units of Al-Najaf AL-Ashraf City Hospitals which include (Al-Sadr Medical City, Al-Hakeem
General Hospital and Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital, they represented AL-Najaf AL-Ashraf city). Result:
showed that the study group participants had benefits from the implementation of nursing management
education program Conclusions: The program considered an effective mean for the improvement of the
head nurse’s knowledge. Recommendations: Head nurses should have the required knowledge about wards
management regarding patient care. And nursing management education program is an important tool for
the development of head nurses’ skills. Accordingly, head nurses need to be encouraged to participate in
nursing management education program focused on patient management. Finally, the study proved that there
is an essential need for collaboration between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with
Ministry of Health and Environment to improve the nursing management courses as a part of curriculum in
nursing institutes and universities.