CORE MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES IN THE UPTAKE OF COVID-19 VACCINE AMONG FIRST-LINE NURSE MANAGERS IN NYERI COUNTY, KENYA: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: First-line nurse managers play significant role in directing patient care and creating safe working environment for nurses. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, nurse managers played a major role in promoting vaccine confidence and administration. This study aimed to establish core competencies that nurse managers in Nyeri County utilized to promote vaccine uptake. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was used in all health centers and dispensaries providing COVID-19 Vaccine. The total number of participants was 73. A validated model tool for evaluating nurses’ managerial competencies was used. Sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics of: frequency and percentages. Core competencies were analyzed and prioritized using analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Data was presented in tables. Ethical guidelines were upheld and approval obtained from DeKUTISERC, NACOSTI, and the Nyeri County Health Department. Results: Majority (77%, n=56) of participants were female, (43%, n=31) aged <40 years, (77%, n=56) had a diploma in nursing. The nurse managers gave highest priority competency to self-management (0.2834). For organizing function competencies, delegating roles and functions had highest priority (0.4720). For managerial roles, attitude towards continuous improvement was regarded as the most important competency (0.2630). Generally, for COVID-19 vaccine uptake, the nurse managers mostly gave the highest priority to competencies in control function (0.4470). Conclusions: The first-line nurse managers in Nyeri County played an important role in COVID-19 vaccine uptake by effectively implementing the control managerial function. Continued capacity building on managerial competence is highly recommended for all first-line nurse managers in the county and in all other counties in the country.