Lunn Cora, O' Donnell Claire, MacCurtain Sarah, Coffey Alice
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2025 Jun 14;9:100367. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100367. eCollection 2025 Dec.
Nurse executives play a crucial role in adapting to the evolving needs of healthcare communities. Existing research demonstrates the positive impact of nursing leadership practices on workforce retention, job satisfaction and overall well-being. The complexities surrounding role transitioning for nurse executives remains under explored.
This study aims to deepen the understanding of how nurse executive leaders navigate the intricate process of role transitioning, providing insights into their experiences and challenges.
This study was conducted using Glaser's classic grounded theory.
This study was carried out in acute hospital settings at seven different sites in the Republic of Ireland.
Participants were 12 nurse executives who were working in the Republic of Ireland, with additional reflective diary notes gathered from conversations with six international nurse executives.
Data were collected through unstructured interviews conducted between January 2020 and September 2022. The process of data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously, with the data being analysed based on the principles of classic grounded theory.
This study introduces the theory of Identity Realigning, which describes the leadership development of nurse executives through three stages: identity earning, role transitioning, and self-integrating. Identity Earning involves forming a new identity within a new socio-professional group. Role transitioning is the psychological process of moving from one role to another, encompassing various stages. Self-Integrating refers to the extent of assimilation into the new role and socio-professional group. Factors such as organisational design and resources were identified as contextual conditions that can either facilitate or impede success for nurse executives.
The theory of Identity Realigning provides significant insights for educators, leaders, and policymakers by explaining the intricate process of role transitioning for nurse executives. It establishes a clear link between shifts in professional identity and the processes of role transitioning and integration. This connection underscores the critical importance of developing executive skills and highlights the necessity for tailored professional development strategies for this cohort.Identity realigning theory; Nurse executive; Identity earning; Role transition; Self-integration.
护士管理人员在适应医疗保健社区不断变化的需求方面发挥着关键作用。现有研究表明，护理领导实践对员工留用、工作满意度和整体幸福感具有积极影响。护士管理人员角色转变的复杂性仍有待探索。
本研究旨在加深对护士管理人员如何应对复杂的角色转变过程的理解，深入了解他们的经历和挑战。
本研究采用格拉泽的经典扎根理论进行。
本研究在爱尔兰共和国七个不同地点的急症医院环境中进行。
参与者为12名在爱尔兰共和国工作的护士管理人员，并从与6名国际护士管理人员的对话中收集了额外的反思日记笔记。
数据收集于2020年1月至2022年9月期间通过非结构化访谈进行。数据收集和分析过程同时进行，数据根据经典扎根理论的原则进行分析。
本研究引入了身份重新调整理论，该理论通过身份获取、角色转变和自我整合三个阶段描述了护士管理人员的领导力发展。身份获取涉及在新的社会专业群体中形成新的身份。角色转变是从一个角色转变到另一个角色的心理过程，包括各个阶段。自我整合是指融入新角色和社会专业群体的程度。组织设计和资源等因素被确定为可能促进或阻碍护士管理人员成功的背景条件。
身份重新调整理论通过解释护士管理人员角色转变的复杂过程，为教育工作者、领导者和政策制定者提供了重要见解。它在职业身份的转变与角色转变和整合过程之间建立了明确的联系。这种联系强调了培养管理技能的至关重要性，并突出了为这一群体制定量身定制的专业发展策略的必要性。身份重新调整理论；护士管理人员；身份获取；角色转变；自我整合。
