Developing and Validating of a Managerial Procedures Manual for Head Nurses

Abstract

The managerial skills are a set of behaviors based on knowledge that can be learned through procedure. Procedures are descriptions of how to carry out an activity. Procedures manual is essential to ensure consistency and quality in products and services. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a managerial procedure manual for head nurses at Ain-shams University Hospital. The study was conducted in Ain Shams University Hospital using operational design. It included a group of 78 head nurses for assessment and a jury group consisting of 16 faculty members of Nursing Administration and 8 nursing directors and assistants. Data were collected using a head nurses' self-administered questionnaire and opinionnaire form for the jury group. The researchers discussed the idea of the study with representatives of the hospital administration to reach to an agreement regarding the importance of the proposed manual and its content, then assessed head nurses’ view of the importance of a managerial manual. The results showed that 25.6% of the head nurses did not know about the presence of a manual for managerial nursing procedures, 96.2% expressed the need for such manual, and 70.7% reported having faced problems due to lack of such manual. Based on analysis of the data the researchers developed the manual that was validated by the jury group, and distributed to head nurses after approval of the hospital administration. The hospital administration participated in all steps of the development of the manual, and adopted its use in the setting. The effectiveness of the manual in reducing head nurses' stress related to managerial problems needs to be assessed after a few months of implementation.

Key words: Head nurse, Manual, Managerial skills and Managerial procedures