Publicação
Competencies of nurse managers in integrated care units: scoping review
| Resumo: | Introduction: Effective healthcare management is essential to ensure quality, continuity, and coordination, especially in integrated models. In Portugal, Local Health Units are a reform designed to coordinate primary and hospital care. Nursing managers play a central role, but their specific competencies remain poorly defined. Objective: 1) To identify the essential competencies required of nurse managers in integrated care settings; 2) To characterize those essential competencies in terms of their nature, scope, and context of application in integrated care settings. Methods: A scoping review was conducted as the initial phase of a mixed-methods study, in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported using the PRISMA-ScR framework. Based on the PCC framework, the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers independently selected the studies and extracted the data. The competencies were synthesized through thematic analysis, using a hybrid deductive–inductive coding approach grounded in Ray’s Theory of Bureaucratic Caring. Results: Six domains of competencies were identified: technical, behavioral, interprofessional, managerial, educational/developmental, and clinical. The differences between primary and hospital care highlighted the need for differentiated profiles and adaptation strategies. The main barriers to integration were cultural resistance, fragmentation of systems, and scarcity of resources; facilitators included effective communication, shared values, and integrated information systems. The relevance of continuous development, succession planning, and organizational support was highlighted. Conclusion: The roles of nurse managers in integrated care are complex. Strengthening them requires investment in skills, institutional support, and alignment with integration values. These findings provide a basis for training programs that promote leadership, team coordination, and sustainability of integrated health systems. |
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| Autores principais: | Ferraz, Carla |
| Outros Autores: | Couto, Germano; Guerra, Nelson; Martins, Maria Manuela |
| Assunto: | Life and Healthcare Sciences |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Instituto Politécnico de Viseu |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Millenium |
| Resumo: | Introduction: Effective healthcare management is essential to ensure quality, continuity, and coordination, especially in integrated models. In Portugal, Local Health Units are a reform designed to coordinate primary and hospital care. Nursing managers play a central role, but their specific competencies remain poorly defined. Objective: 1) To identify the essential competencies required of nurse managers in integrated care settings; 2) To characterize those essential competencies in terms of their nature, scope, and context of application in integrated care settings. Methods: A scoping review was conducted as the initial phase of a mixed-methods study, in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported using the PRISMA-ScR framework. Based on the PCC framework, the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers independently selected the studies and extracted the data. The competencies were synthesized through thematic analysis, using a hybrid deductive–inductive coding approach grounded in Ray’s Theory of Bureaucratic Caring. Results: Six domains of competencies were identified: technical, behavioral, interprofessional, managerial, educational/developmental, and clinical. The differences between primary and hospital care highlighted the need for differentiated profiles and adaptation strategies. The main barriers to integration were cultural resistance, fragmentation of systems, and scarcity of resources; facilitators included effective communication, shared values, and integrated information systems. The relevance of continuous development, succession planning, and organizational support was highlighted. Conclusion: The roles of nurse managers in integrated care are complex. Strengthening them requires investment in skills, institutional support, and alignment with integration values. These findings provide a basis for training programs that promote leadership, team coordination, and sustainability of integrated health systems. |
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