The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which executive nurses participate in strategic planning for their institutions,and the extent to which these executive nurses utilize the strategic planning process for their nursing departments. The effect of ownership, size, and educational level of the executive nurse on the extent of participation in institutional strategic planning and the utilization of the strategic planning process for their nursing departments was also examined.
The population of the study included all executive nurses employed in short-term, nonmiltary, Virginia hospitals, which were members of the Virginia Hospital Association. Questionnaires were mailed to 114 executive nurses, 60 returned the survey with a response rate of 53 percent. The 60 hospitals included: 14 small institutions (\u3c 99 beds), constituting 24 percent of the sample; 30 medium-sized institutions (100-399 beds), comprising 58 percent of the sample; and 11 large institutions (\u3e 400 beds), constituting 18 percent of the sample. There were 48 not-for-profit institutions constituting 80 percent of the sample, and 12 for profit (investor owned) comprising 20 percent of the sample: and 11 large institutions (\u3e 400 beds), constituting 18 percent of the sample. There were 48 not-for-profit institutions constituting 80 percent of the sample, and 12 for-profit (investor owned) comprising 20 percent of the sample.
The typical nurse executive in this study held a master\u27s degree, had 21-25 total years of nursing experience of which one to five years was at the executive level, and had been in his/her present position one to five years. Slightly over half of nursing departments had long-range plans covering three years or less. The majority of long-range plans for the department of nursing were formulated by the strategic planning process. Participation in hospital strategic planning was influenced by the institution\u27s size and the nurse executive\u27s educational level. Utilization of the strategic planning process for the department of nursing was influenced by neither size nor ownership, only the executive nurse\u27s educational level
