Building leadership capacity in advanced nurse practitioners - the role of organisational management

Aim: To highlight the organisation-level management's role in building leadership capacity in advanced nurse practitioners and the need for appropriate supports to increase their becoming leaders.

Background: Little is published about the role of organisation-level management in building leadership capacity and in developing the next generation of nurse leaders. In times of economic constraint, organisations need to focus their efforts on targeted leadership initiatives. Advanced nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to act as leaders both within and beyond the health care organisation.

Evaluation: From the available research evidence, several support structures and mechanisms are identified as enablers for advanced nurse practitioners to enact their leadership role.

Conclusion: Health care organisations need to include building leadership capacity as a priority in their strategic plan and take action to build-up the level of advanced nurse practitioner leadership.

Implications for nursing management: Nurse executives have a vital role in influencing the organisation's strategic plan and making a business case for prioritising leadership capacity building within advanced nurse practitioners. A challenge for nurse executives faced with competing service and leadership development demands, involves strategic decision-making regarding whether the advanced nurse practitioner's role is limited to service delivery or its potential in leading health care reforms is realised.