Self-assessment and perceived importance of managerial competencies among nursing leadership personnel

Abstract

Introduction: The managerial competencies of nursing leadership—which underpin the management of care—are formed by the integration of knowing how to be, knowing how to do, and knowing how to coexist.

Objective: To analyze the development of managerial competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and the degree of importance attributed to them by nursing leadership personnel.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study involving nursing leadership personnel (n=50). An identification form and Lazarotto’s Managerial Competencies Questionnaire were used to assess knowledge, skills, and attitudes (α=0.97). The instrument comprises two scales: self-assessment and the perception of competency application (or degree of importance). Analysis included descriptive statistics, 95% CIs for each dimension, and Pearson correlation (p=0.05) following verification of the normality assumption.

Results: The mean score for knowledge was 65 ± 15 (range: 28–98), compared to a perceived importance score of 80 ± 12 (range: 37–100). For skills, the mean score was 57 ± 13 (range: 16–80) and the perceived importance score was 66 ± 11 (range: 16–80). Regarding attitudes, the mean score was 55 ± 12 (range: 30–75) and the perceived importance score was 62 ± 11 (range: 30–75). A high correlation was identified between managerial knowledge and attitudes (R=0.994; p=0.001).

Conclusions: These findings contribute to the design of institutional strategies focused on leadership competencies, particularly in the areas of information management, epidemiological analysis, and participatory leadership.