According to a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, the transformational leadership style helps nurses provide better care and also improves the retention of nurses. The study also finds that abusive management practices have a negative impact on patient care and also result in young nurses quitting their jobs early on in their careers.
The study, conducted by McGill University and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières concludes that transformational leadership is most effective in encouraging employees to work towards a collective goal and for creating a supportive environment. The researchers surveyed 541 registered nurses in Quebec with an average age of 26 years. An online survey was used for the purpose of the research and the nurses were asked to self-report on the effect of management styles.
"Paying close attention to the leadership practices of nurse managers could prove effective in improving patient care and increasing the retention of new nurses, which is helpful in resolving the nursing shortage," the researchers concluded.
They also explain that the results of the study not only prove that supportive leadership practices are most effective but also spread the message that abusive leadership can create a work environment that is detrimental to the practice of nursing. This abusive leadership is not limited to nurse managers but also doctors and their superiors who often bully nurses and take out their frustration on them. It is thus critical to curtail workplace bullying.
See Also: How to Tackle Workplace Bullying
Nurses also need to develop leadership skills. It might be challenging for them to transition from their clinical role to a leadership role but it would be beneficial for the healthcare work environment if nurses were helped to develop these skills.
Source: Journal of Advanced Nursing
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
