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Aim. The aim of this article is to report the process and outcomes of codesigning a nursing leadership program for fundamental care. The leadership program is designed to empower nursing leaders, across research, education, clinical practice, and policy, to challenge and change how fundamental care is valued, prioritised, and actioned within health and care systems. Background. Deficits in fundamental care represent an intractable problem adversely impacting care recipients, care providers, and health and care systems globally. These deficits stem from the minimal value placed on fundamental care and its subsequent invisibility across research, education, clinical practice, and policy. Sustainable systems change requires effective nursing leadership; however, existing nursing leadership programs tend to address only one area of health and care systems, typically clinical practice, and do not focus specifically on fundamental care. Methods. The Fundamentals of Care Leadership Program was codesigned with current and emerging nursing leaders using a participatory action research approach. The collaborative codesign process involved two stages: (1) idea generation and preliminary program development via Nominal Group Technique (n = 60 participants from 11 countries) and (2) refinement and trialling of program content and process via a three-day workshop (n = 19 participants from 9 countries). Results. Participants prioritised a program that provided clear understanding of the concept of fundamental care, enabled the development of influencing and negotiating skills to advocate for this care, and offered resources on knowledge translation, implementation, and measurement strategies. Participants also wanted allotted time to design research and quality improvement projects that would allow them to transfer the skills learned to the real-world issues occurring within their respective organisations. Conclusions. The codesign process, embedded within a participatory action approach, enabled the development of a Fundamentals of Care Leadership Program that is shaped by, and meets the needs of, current and emerging nursing leaders. The leadership program will enable nursing leaders to challenge value systems on fundamental care and to champion this care across research, education, clinical practice, and policy, working towards enhanced fundamental care outcomes and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the strategies used by nurse leaders to facilitate fundamental care delivery in their clinical area. Design: An interpretative qualitative design study reported in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Methods: Twenty‐four self‐identified nurse leaders from across Australia were interviewed between November 2020 and April 2021 to discuss their strategies for facilitating fundamental care. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Nurse leaders' experience of facilitating fundamental care produced two major themes, delivery of fundamental care (comprising three sub‐themes: valuing fundamental care, understanding and developing staff capacity and supportive relationships), and monitoring of fundamental care (including three sub‐themes: visibility in the clinical area, embedding fundamental care in the practice setting and specific direct actions). Conclusion: Facilitating fundamental care delivery is complex. This study highlighted the importance of nurse leaders' individual characteristics, and nurse leaders' ability to establish and maintain relationships alongside the role of informal and formal monitoring of fundamental care delivery. Impact Findings from this study build on existing research into fundamental care and contribute to our understanding of the role, characteristics and actions of nurse leaders to facilitate fundamental care. The results demonstrate the complexity and intricacy of nursing leadership to facilitate fundamental care, and that a dynamic 'thinking and linking' approach is required. The results show individualized practice which may create challenges for new nurse leaders seeking guidance, and for monitoring nurse leader activity. Further research is advocated to explore insights and tools to optimize nurse leaders' endeavours in facilitating fundamental care. Patient or Public Contribution: This study was designed using insights generated from patient and public involvement in nursing leadership and fundamental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]