Abstract

This study addresses the global leadership crisis in healthcare, which leaves an unprepared nursing workforce who are unable to achieve acceptable patient outcomes. Generation Y nurses will soon form the majority cohort of nurses; they therefore represent the future of the nursing profession worldwide. Their leadership ability will no doubt impact on healthcare globally. There has been a lack of academic research focusing on the leadership needs of Generation Y nurses, specifically bedside nurses who are closest to the point of care. There is also a lack of mixed methods research in this field. This research answers the question: How can the nursing profession prepare Generation Y nurses to become effective leaders? A multistage mixed methods advanced framework design was used, with data integration occurring at multiple levels. Data was collected on Generation Y nurses working at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, through the Values in action (VIA)-24 strengths survey, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) leadership survey on ‘The leader within’, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis included statistical measures and thematic analysis using Tesch’s coding. The aim of the study was to develop a sustainable leadership framework for generation Y bedside nurses, through data collected from them and for them. This study shows that Generation Y nurses have a clear leadership vision, and strongly desire leadership education that is creative, innovative, technology-driven and fun. It is vital that bedside nurses are given the opportunity to meet their full leadership potential, which will contribute towards the much needed transformation of healthcare globally.

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