Interviewing a nurse manager, director or chief nursing officer is a staple of leadership courses. This guide covers who to interview, the questions that produce useful material, how to connect answers to leadership theory and competencies, and how to structure the paper.
The interview itself is only the raw material. Instructors use this assignment to see whether you can recognize leadership theory, competencies and organizational issues in a real person's practice, and reflect on what that means for your own development. A paper that simply retells the conversation, question by question, usually scores poorly. A paper that analyzes the leader's answers through a theoretical lens, with evidence, scores well.
| Typical rubric element | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Description of the leader and setting | Role, scope, organization type, without identifying details unless permitted |
| Summary of key responses | Organized by theme, not a transcript |
| Analysis using leadership theory | Identify the leader's style and support it with examples and citations |
| Link to competencies or standards | For example professional leadership competencies or course outcomes |
| Personal reflection | What you learned and how it will shape your practice |
| Scholarly support and APA | Peer-reviewed sources and correct formatting |
Check whether your course specifies a level. If not, choose someone whose role gives you enough material:
| Role | Good for discussing |
|---|---|
| Charge nurse | Front-line delegation, conflict resolution, shift-level decisions |
| Nurse manager / unit director | Staffing, budgets, retention, quality metrics, team culture |
| Director of nursing / service line director | Multi-unit strategy, change management, interprofessional work |
| Chief nursing officer | Organizational strategy, governance, Magnet or quality programs, system-level change |
| Nurse educator or informatics leader | Leadership without direct line management, influence, practice change |
Ask early. Leaders are busy, and many will offer 30 minutes at most. Request the interview at least two weeks before your deadline and send your questions in advance.
Is IRB approval needed? A course assignment interview that is not designed to produce generalizable knowledge is usually not considered research, but follow your program's policy and your instructor's instructions.
Open questions that invite stories give you far more to analyze than yes/no questions. Choose 10 to 15 across these themes, aligned with your rubric:
Ask follow-up questions such as "Can you give me an example?" or "What happened next?" Concrete stories are what you will analyze later.
Straight after the interview, while it is fresh, expand your notes into full sentences. Then sort the material:
Share your notes and rubric. A nursing writer can help organize themes, apply leadership theory and write the reflection.
This is where the marks are. Identify which theory or style the leader's answers reflect, and support your claim with specific examples from the interview and scholarly sources.
| Theory or style | What to listen for |
|---|---|
| Transformational | Shared vision, inspiring staff, individual development, encouraging innovation |
| Transactional | Clear expectations, rewards and corrective action, focus on standards and targets |
| Servant leadership | Putting staff needs first, listening, removing barriers so others succeed |
| Situational leadership | Adjusting style to staff experience and the situation |
| Authentic leadership | Self-awareness, transparency, consistency between values and actions |
| Democratic / participative | Involving staff in decisions, shared governance |
"The manager's approach reflects transformational leadership. She described holding monthly 'idea huddles' where staff propose improvements, and supported two nurses in leading a falls-prevention project. These behaviors align with the intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration components of transformational leadership, which research has associated with higher staff engagement and retention. However, her description of strictly enforcing documentation audits suggests she also uses transactional methods when standards are at stake, consistent with a situational blend."
Notice how the analysis uses specific interview examples, names theory components, refers to evidence and recognizes nuance. Leaders rarely fit one style perfectly, and acknowledging that shows critical thinking.
Many rubrics also ask you to connect the interview to leadership competencies or course concepts. Common links include:
Use whichever framework your course provides, cite it, and map at least two of the leader's examples to specific competencies.
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Purpose of the interview, who was interviewed (role only), what the paper covers |
| Leader and setting | Role, experience, organization type, scope of responsibility |
| Key themes from the interview | Two to four themes, such as retention, change, conflict, each summarized with examples |
| Leadership style analysis | Theory applied with interview evidence and citations |
| Competencies and challenges | Links to competencies; current challenges and how the leader addresses them |
| Personal reflection | What you learned, how it compares with your own style, your development goals |
| Conclusion | Main insights |
| References and appendix | APA references; interview questions in an appendix if requested |
The reflection should go beyond "I learned a lot". Compare the leader's approach with your own tendencies, identify one or two specific skills you want to develop, and explain how you will do it. First person is usually appropriate here. Our nursing reflective essay guide offers structures such as Gibbs' cycle you can adapt.
Usually 10 to 15 open questions, chosen to match your rubric, with follow-up questions for examples. Prioritize depth over coverage if time is short.
Often yes, unless your instructor says otherwise. Be aware it may be harder to analyze critically, and take care with confidential workplace details.
Only if the assignment asks for it. Many instructors want the questions in an appendix and the responses summarized by theme in the body.
In APA 7, an interview you conducted that is not recoverable by readers is usually treated as a personal communication, cited in text only, not in the reference list. Check whether your instructor prefers a different approach for course assignments.
A strong nurse leader interview paper uses a real conversation as evidence for a theoretical analysis. Choose a leader with enough scope, ask open questions that draw out stories, organize what you hear into themes, interpret those themes through leadership theory and competencies, and finish with a reflection that names specific steps in your own development.