Abstract
The director of nursing (DON) is an essential member of the top management team in nursing homes and in a key position to improve the quality and value of care. This article describes and examines the roles and responsibilities of DONs as perceived by a convenience sample of current/previous DONs and nursing home administrators (n = 29). Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews and analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis. The findings reveal a broad scope and wide variation in the DON position across settings, with inextricable linkages between clinical care and other aspects of care delivery, such as managing fiscal and human resources (HR). As RN licensure is the only Federal requirement for the DON position, suggesting a clinical focus, the findings highlight a policy-practice gap. Research is needed to address this gap, focusing on the requisite preparation DONs need to effectively and cost-efficiently lead initiatives for quality improvement.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 214-223 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2012 |
Keywords
- directors of nursing
- nursing education
- nursing home
- nursing management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
- Leadership and Management
- Medicine(all)