Certified Nurse Administrators’ Nursing Management Practices in Hospitals: Content Analysis of Nurse Administrator Practice Reports Submitted for the Certification Renewal Exam

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of nursing management practices in hospitals by certified nurse administrators (CNAs). A web-based survey regarding nurse administrator practice reports submitted at the time of the CNA certification renewal examination was conducted with 850 members of the Certified Nurse Administrator Association who possessed such reports as of August 2021. KH Coder 3 was used to analyze the contents of "practice progress and results" in the nurse administrator practice reports. A co-occurrence network diagram for 84 reports showed that CNAs in hospitals focused on the quality of nursing services and worked to improve the work environment. Specifically, they sought to provide consistent support to outpatient, inpatient, and discharged patients and promote regional cooperation. Furthermore, six of the 14 clusters classified by a hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the following practices undertaken by CNAs: establishing a project team; clarifying issues based on survey results; developing, implementing, and evaluating plans; setting and managing goals for each department through chief nurses; and deepening an understanding through participation in training and meetings. Furthermore, a correspondence analysis showed that nursing directors, who had received updates multiple times, broadened their perspectives outside the facilities to which they belonged and were more active in their administrative practices. This finding indicates that the development of nurse administrator practice was in line with management objectives and improvement in the quality of experiential learning through the formulation of an action plan for the renewal of certification in five years.