NURSING SCIENCE FOR LEADERSHIP IN A NEW DECADE
Nursing Science for Leadership-the beginning of this issue's title can have more than one meaning. One meaning is that nursing science is for, as in support of, leadership. That seems to be fair to say, especially considering most of these manuscripts derived from the 2021 Annual International Conference of the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing (ALSN). This association has as its mission, "Unite academic and practice leaders to shape leadership science and education in nursing."1 We think you will find evidence of that mission being met through the manuscripts selected for publication in this issue. In other words, we hope you will find the science presented in this collection relevant to your professional nursing leadership practice.
Science is commonly thought of as the intellectual component of some endeavor. It comprises a study in some organized manner. Science typically involves data and operates on established principles. The "hard" sciences, where principles don't vary, are easier to explain. The "soft" sciences, where many factors interrelate and moderate each other, are harder to explain. Thus, the physiological components of nursing, which also may vary, are typically easier to explain than are the psychological components of nursing. Leadership heavily relies on the latter.
To be effective nurse leaders, nurses must understand and be able to use a broad field of knowledge that is built on a firm foundation of nursing. The newly released "AONL Nurse Leader Competencies: Core Competencies for Nurse Leadership" illustrate this point quite well.2 The competencies are designed around 6 areas: (1) communication and relationship building; (2) leadership; (3) knowledge of the health care environment and clinical principles; (4) professionalism; (5) business skills and principles; and (6) leader within.
The mix of manuscripts from academia and practice reflects the membership of ALSN-a mix of academia and practice. This distinctive blend of perspectives from nursing about leadership enhances our worldview of how we contribute to each other's perspective and, more importantly, to health care.
In this issue, Dr Brandford and colleagues report on findings of a study of 75 Black nurses' experience of racism and the effect on depressive symptoms and occupational stress. The authors provide strategies that nurse leaders can implement in their organizations. Dr Nelson-Brantley and Dr Chipps provide education on the differences between evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and implementation research. This article fills a gap in nurse leaders' knowledge of differences between the various approaches to improving health care in their organizations. Building on this critical gap in knowledge, Dr McNett and her colleagues from the Ohio State University share a tool kit to help nurse leaders build sustainable evidence-based practice programs. The last competency to highlight is the ability to create a business case to support nursing initiatives and programs. Without financial backing, many important nursing initiatives would be unsustainable. These articles represent a sampling of the important articles that follow. They provide support for nurse leaders to develop critical nursing leadership competencies. Furthermore, they provide insights into the latest knowledge in important aspects of nursing leadership practice.
ALSN's vision is to "Become the preeminent leader in shaping leadership science for nursing globally."1 We feel that the articles here are a good beginning on the long and ever-lasting journey.
-Nora Warshawsky, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, FAAN
-Patricia Yoder-Wise, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAONL, FAAN
Guest Editors
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