Leadership in Community Nursing - Report of a study carried out by Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Forth Valley

Abstract

In response to national and local agendas, both NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Forth Valley maintain a strong commitment to the development of those in clinical leadership positions. Queen Margaret University programmes in Nursing incorporate leadership as a core element in preparation for practice, and QMU have accredited NHS Lanarkshire's leadership educational programme for several years. This project emerged from that collaboration, from ideas about the nature of leadership and the recognition that few empirical studies exist in nursing in general, and fewer specifically in community nursing. The two data collection sites were not involved in pilot work of the Review of Nursing in the Community (SEHD 2006) although all staff were working in this context of policy drivers encouraging change (SE 2005a, SE 2005b, Pollock 2007, Kennedy et al 2009, RCN 2009a 2009b).