Engaging Nurses in Future Management Careers: Perspectives on Leadership and Management Competency Development through an Internship Initiative.

Nurse managers occupy a critical position in leading change on the front line of patient care. They are often recruited from clinical roles and possess a wealth of expertise in providing quality client care. However, novice managers often receive insufficient professional development for their complex roles and require support to obtain leadership and management competencies to function successfully. An internship training initiative was created to support graduate nurses interested in management roles to develop necessary skills for success. The initiative focused on an Individualized Role Development Plan guided by a management competency framework and a robust mentorship model that leveraged support from a network of experienced organizational leaders. This paper examines one nurse manager intern's experience in developing both management competencies and mobilizing mentorship support for personal resilience in a mental health and addictions setting.