Pre-Conference Workshop: Foundational Leadership Practicum Certificate of Mastery

Editor's Note

Asking questions at a business conference can go farther than one might think. Consider the new Foundational Leadership Practicum Certificate of Mastery (FLP-COM), created by CCI - Competency & Credentialing Institute in response to repeated questions about leadership certifications without formal mentoring or training in nursing. “We were consistently asked by [conference] attendees, ‘Why can't you have a certification for non-nurses—for surgical services, for business managers?’” explained Dawn Whiteside, MSN (Ed), RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, RNFA, Director of Education at CCI. “So we decided to have this foundational leadership course.”

Fittingly, Whiteside was speaking February 10 at the 2025 OR Business Management Conference, where the first iteration of the FLP-COM training course kicked off a financially-focused slate of educational sessions targeted toward an intimate gathering of perioperative leaders from across the country.

Many professionals in surgical services find themselves in leadership positions without formal mentoring or training, Whiteside continued. This program provides foundational knowledge to help them succeed and seek out additional mentorship opportunities.

The in-person session was split into two parts: one focused on leadership, and another on business principles. Conference participants were auto-enrolled in further online modules covering communication, relationship management, and human resources. The program includes pre- and post-tests, interactive modules, and online presentations designed to reinforce key concepts.

Pulling heavily from principles outlined by AORN, AONL, ANA, and other organizations, Whiteside’s leadership presentation covered the attributes of an effective leader as well as an overview of different styles. The best leaders embrace accountability, self-assessment, integrity, and serving as role models for others, each of which Whiteside explained in detail. For example, accountability includes both organizational accountability and individual accountability. Key elements of fostering individual accountability include seeking feedback, considering one’s “mental model” (how internal beliefs build a model of external behavior); seeking experiential learning and exposure to new knowledge. As for organizational accountability, “What culture looks like is up to you—your values, plus what you cultivate in your team.”

After exploring various leadership styles—authoritarian, collaborative, bureaucratic, and situational blends of these and other approaches—Whiteside devoted the second half of the training session to process and efficiency improvements. For example, attendees were treated to an overview of value-stream mapping (VSM). Under the broader umbrella of Lean methodology, VSM involves analyzing, documenting, and ideally improving process workflows. Another portion of the presentation covered Six Six Sigma, a quality control methodology designed to eliminate defects and improve processes.

The training session included more than just didactic learning  frequent opportunities for attendees to actively participate and engage. Examples include conducting a mock SWOT analysis (a method for identifying and remedying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) as well as a GAP analysis (a means of measuring the difference between current performance and desired outcomes in an organization, system, or process). Attendees also also shared personal experiences with mentoring and being mentored, dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic (and the more recent IV fluid shortages), and other aspects of their perioperative career journeys.

Whiteside concluded the initial, in-person FLP-COM training session with three primary takeaways:

• Your leadership style determines your success.
• Future planning requires analysis of current state.
• Reducing waste and increasing efficiencies equals improved value.