Competencies of military nurse managers: A scoping review and unifying framework

Abstract

Aim(s): To identify competencies of military nurse managers and develop a unifying framework of military nurse managers' competencies.

Background: Military nurse managers shoulder multiple responsibilities because of duality roles, and they should possess competencies that enable them to manage human and material resources during peacetime and wartime. Therefore, nursing management within military context is demanding, such that a comprehensive understanding of their competencies is needed for effective military nursing management. Although relevant studies have focused on different military branches and different levels of managers, there is no standard evaluation framework.

Evaluation: A scoping review of studies focusing on competencies of military nurse managers from seven databases was carried out.

Key issues: Nine studies were included in this review, and a framework consisting of six domains of military nurse managers' competencies was identified: clinical expertise, role model, leadership competencies, human competencies, financial competencies and deployment competencies.

Conclusion: Existing knowledge of competencies of military nurse managers is limited, and a comprehensive understanding of this topic can provide direction for future work.

Implications for nursing management: Military nurse managers play substantial roles within the military nursing context. A unifying framework can facilitate personnel recruitment and competency measurement, as well as training protocol development.

Keywords: competencies; military; nurse manager; scoping review.