Objective To improve management competency of head nurses in prefectural hospitals under the nursing alliance model. Methods Fifty-five head nurses who participated in a nursing management training program in 2020 received one-month systematic training. The Patient Safety Competency Self-Rating Scale and Head Nurses Leadership Questionnaire were used to measure the effect before and 3 months after the training. Results After the training, the total scores of patient safety competency and leadership competency were significantly enhanced after the training （P＜0.01 for both）. Conclusion Conducting systematic management training for head nurses in prefectural hospitals through the regional nursing specialty alliance, could enhance their patient safety competency and leadership competency, thus to improve nursing quality in prefectural hospitals.