Qualitative Study: Nursing Managers in Managing Nurse Educators in Hospitals

Introduction: nurse managers are responsible for managing human resources, including nurse educators in hospitals. Although nurse educators are professionals, there is limited knowledge about the competencies required for their roles within hospital programs. This study aims to analyze the experiences of nursing managers in managing nurse educators in hospitals. Method: this research employs a qualitative design using a phenomenological approach. The study was conducted in two hospitals, utilizing purposive sampling based on predetermined inclusion criteria. The participants included nine nurse managers responsible for the nurse educator program, each having served for at least three years. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the collected data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: the study identified six themes: 1) The suboptimal division of roles among nursing fields, the Education Coordination Committee (Komkordik), and the nursing committee in managing nurse educators; 2) Various requirements for becoming a nurse educator; 3) The competencies that nurse educators must fulfill; 4) The inadequacy of the mentoring program for nurses due to the lack of policies and existing challenges; 5) The management of student mentoring programs by higher education institutions; 6) The absence of definitions and career pathways for nurse educators. Conclusion: the findings indicate that nursing managers, as supervisors of nurse educators, possess unique experiences and require clearer definitions of the role of nurse educators along with regulations for their career advancement.