Evidence-based Leadership in Nurse Leaders-FI (EVILEAD-FI)

Online Training to Improve Evidence-based Leadership Competencies Among Nurse Leaders in Finland: Study Protocol for a Randomised Feasibility Trial (EVILED-FI)

This study protocol describes a randomised feasibility trial that will evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the training course to improve evidence-based leadership competencies among nurse leaders working in hospitals in Finland.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Leadership
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Evidence-based leadership training; Other: Conventional training

Detailed Description

This study will include a 6-months training intervention for nurse leaders working in hospital settings in Finland. About 140 nurse leaders fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated (1:1) to participate in the online training course about evidence-based leadership or conventional leadership training course (reading material only).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 140
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Finland
  • South Finland
    • Helsinki, South Finland, Finland, 20014
      • Helsingin kaupunki, psykiatria

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Official managerial role in the study organisation (hospital, clinic, ward level), which give them an authority to act as a nurse leader and monitor, develop and evaluate the care
• Being in full time or part time position
• All sex
• Aged up to 65 years
• Working in the study sites at the time of the recruitment
• Ability to read and write Finnish language
• Willingness to join the study based on their own free will
• Informed consent obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-nursing professionals in leadership position (e.g. physician, psychologist, pharmacist, dietician/nutritionist, dentist, physiotherapist, radiation therapist, paramedic, occupational therapist, social worker, or disability worker)
• Speaking only other languages than Finnish (e.g. Swedish or English)
• Out of duty during the recruitment period for family leave, long term sick leave, study leave or any other reason

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Evidence-based leadership training; The training course will take 6 months. It is divided into seven online modules. Participants join the course based on pre-structured schedule. The progress of the training course will follow specific steps to improve participants' evidence-based leadership competencies. First, each participant identifies one leadership problem on daily practice. Second, organisational data will be collected and analysed to increase the understanding of the key problem. Third, scientific literature will be searched, identified and critically appraised to find solutions. Fourth, the views of stakeholders (patients, clinicians, family members, etc.) are considered together with ethical implications. And last, all sources of information are critically appraised, new solution will be designed and implemented into the practice, and evaluated in real world context. Each module includes specific learning material. Trained tutors are responsible for mentoring each module.	Other: Evidence-based leadership training; 7-modules online training over six months mentored by tutors. Independent familiarisation of reading material, peer-group discussions, self-reflection, assignments, tutor's feedback.
Active Comparator: Conventional training; The participants will join a training course with the same structure, topics, and timing as the experimental group. However, training in this group is based on independent learning methods. The participants have access to the separate learning platform, which includes reading material to be read independently. No group discussions with peers, self-reflection, assignments, or support from tutors will be offered.	Other: Conventional training; 7-modules online training over six months. Independent reading only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acceptability of the intervention	The degree of execution (success and failure of execution) of the intervention protocol by calculating the number of logins for each module and all participants	6 months
Adherence in the course	Adherence in the course by calculating the number of returned course tasks out of all possible tasks	6 months
Adherence in the course tasks	Adherence in the course by calculating the number of returned course tasks by each participant	6 months
Drop-out rate	The drop-out rate calculated by the number of participants who left the study early (no follow-up data)	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acceptability in recruitment	The number of nurse leaders who accepted (or refused) the invitation to participate in the research study	Baseline
Feasibility of the eligibility criteria	The number of nurse leaders who fulfilled eligibility criteria	Baseline
Feasibility of the outcome instruments for measuring the potential effectiveness of the online course	The number of missing variables of each returned instrument	Baseline and 6 months
Leadership skills (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [MLQ])	Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)	Baseline and 6 months
Evidence-based practice, knowledge, and attitudes (Evidence Based Practice Questionnaire [EBPQ])	Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ)	Baseline and 6 months
Self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale [GSE])	General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)	Baseline and 6 months
Self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [RSE])	Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE)	Baseline and 6 months
Intention to leave (questionnaire)	Three-item questionnaire	Baseline and 6 months
Course feedback	Eight-item questionnaire	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Turku
• Collaborators: Central South University; Sichuan University; Swinburne University of Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Maritta A Välimäki, University of Turku

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 26, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 16, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: feasibility, randomised controlled trial, training
• Other Study ID Numbers: UTUEvidence

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: According to the ethical reasons

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No