Abstract

This study is an evaluation of how far the use of co-operative learning has helped six ‘new' Directorate Senior Nurses (DSNs) at Salisbury District Hospital NHS Trust in the UK to develop their roles, and reflects on their acquisition of leadership skills and capability. The project has two elements: co-operative learning and evaluation research of both learning methods and leadership development. The six DSNs – five nurses and one midwife – agreed to take part in both aspects, with the research aspect consisting of tape-recorded, qualitative interview questions based on the leadership characteristics given by Krause [The Way of the Leader, Nicholas Brealey, London, 1997]. The research showed that co-operative learning was an effective way of learning leadership and role acquisition. The DSNs identified gaps in their knowledge and understanding of leadership. However, they found that, by exploring their life experiences through reflection and developing knowledge from theory as part of co-operative learning, they were able to construct strategies to help them manage their role in new and creative ways.