AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP AND NURSES' MOTIVATION TO ENGAGE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF NURSE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND LEADERSHIP SELF-EFFICACY

Raedwoon: A leadership development program for direct care nurses in Saudi Arabia

This study assessed the Raedwoon program, a 25-day nursing leadership course, using a quasi-experimental design. It found overall improvements in leadership and nursing competencies, except in the “Inspire a Shared Vision” practice and documentation skills.

Understanding the Impact of the Nurse Manager's Vocation for Leadership on the Healthcare Workplace Environments in Mexico: A Grounded Theory Approach

BACKGROUND

Leadership in any managerial position that a nurse may hold appears to be closely connected to fostering positive and productive work environments within healthcare settings. However, not all nurse managers are characterized by leadership, and not all nurse leaders are nurse managers. In countries, such as Mexico, those who occupy these roles have barely sufficient training in management, are mainly characterized by their experience in one clinical specialty and their vocation for leadership is not a requirement. Our study aims to understand how the leadership vocation that some nurse managers have in their daily practice could impact the work environments of healthcare organizations in Mexico.

METHODS

A qualitative design was carried out through a grounded theory approach based on Corbin & Strauss, interviewing individually 13 nurse managers with representative experience in Mexican public sector hospitals.

RESULTS

According to the interviewees, the meaning of vocation is based mainly on the love for their profession, on the vocation of being a nurse and caring for people, as well as on the development of their own natural leadership potential for decision-making in practice. This situation produces positive feedback on themselves by generating productive effects in the work environment, consequently strengthening them to better organize professional resources and therefore producing improvements.

CONCLUSIONS

The nurse manager's vocation of leadership derives from both the vocation of being a practicing nurse and the vocation for being a leader, positively impacting and productively contributing to the improvement of the work environment. Consequently, nurse managers with vocation for leadership should be the gold standard role in any healthcare organization. This study was retrospectively registered with the (registros-OSF-bmyvz-v1) on the (26 July 2023) registration number (10.17605/OSF.IO/BMYVZ).

Survey on the Mental Health of Dispensing Pharmacists in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region (France)

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic intensely involved pharmacists in France, with new responsibilities on a large scale, introducing to dispensary practice the performance of vaccination and nasopharyngeal swabs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout, anxiety, and depression in pharmacists after the COVID-19 health crisis and to identify factors associated with psychological distress.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study involved 1700 pharmacies in an entire French region. Sociodemographic, geographical, and medical information (burnout tested with the MBI and anxiety/depression measured on the HAD scale) were collected via an online anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The characteristics of the pharmacy and the practice of antigen testing and vaccination were requested. Quantitative and qualitative variables associated with psychological distress were investigated with a factor analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 360 responses were collected (20.5%). Of the responses, 41.9% showed definite anxiety symptoms and 18.3% showed proven depressive symptoms. Three clusters were described according to the intensity of burnout experience, depersonalization, and loss of personal accomplishment. The analysis identified that one cluster was at high risk of burnout (high burnout and depersonalization scores). Of these stressed, exhausted pharmacists, 69.3% showed definite anxiety, 37.9% showed proven depression, and in smaller pharmacies. The carrying out of antigenic testing and anti-COVID vaccination, as well as the geographical location of the pharmacy, were not discriminating factors in these three groups.

CONCLUSION

Mental health care and suicide prevention should be provided to at-risk pharmacists. It seems essential to publicize the range of resources available to support pharmacists.

Measuring Nurses' Organizational Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Available Instruments

This systematic review aimed to identify and compare instruments measuring nurses' organizational well-being, summarise the dimensions measured by these instruments, the statistical analysis performed for validity evidence and identify an instrument that comprehensively investigates nurses' organizational well-being. The JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and the PRISMA checklist were used as guidelines. The search was conducted on Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Scopus. Critical appraisal and data extraction were drawn on the COSMIN checklist. Dimensions were conceptually synthesized by the measurement concepts' similarity. Twenty-two articles were retrieved and they included 21 instruments that measured nurses' organizational well-being. The instruments vary by dimension number (range 2-19), items (range 12-118) and concept elicitation. A plurality of methodologies has been used in instrument development and assessments of evidence for validity. Only four instruments reported a concurrent criterion validity or a measurement comparison with an already tested-for-validity instrument. Similar dimensions were leadership and support, relationships and communication, work-family balance, work demands, violence, control and autonomy, satisfaction and motivation, work environment and resources, careers, and organizational policy. This review underlines the core areas of the instruments that measure nursing organizational well-being. It allows administrators and researchers to choose the appropriate instruments for monitoring this multidimensional concept.

Factors associated with millennial nurses' intention to pursue formal leadership roles: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

This study aims to examine the level of intention to pursue formal nursing leadership roles among millennial nurses and to identify the different factors that may play a role in their intentions to pursue such roles.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This study used a multi-center, cross-sectional research design. Registered nurses born between 1980 and 2000 (n = 1,377) who worked in 23 acute care hospitals in Oman were included in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Data were collected between July 2019 and January 2020.

FINDINGS

Nearly 70% of millennial nurses researched their intention for career advancement to assume nursing leadership responsibility. Factors associated with nurses' intention to pursue formal nursing leadership roles were the type of nursing degree held (having a bachelor of science in nursing degree), type of hospital facility affiliation (teaching hospital), previous leadership experience, structural empowerment (access to support, opportunity and resources), work satisfaction and job burnout.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Millennial nurses, who represent the largest segment of the nursing workforce, have begun assuming nursing management and leadership roles; however, little is known about the factors affecting their intentions to pursue these roles. The findings of this study revealed different factors (both modifiable and nonmodifiable) influencing millennial nurses' intentions to pursue formal leadership roles.

Leadership self-efficacy and nurses' aspiration to leadership: An evolutionary concept analysis

BACKGROUND

The complex nature of leadership in nursing and healthcare requires a vast skill set. Leadership self-efficacy (LSE) has emerged as an important concept to support leadership development in the nursing literature. An analysis of LSE can clarify and inform strategies for leadership development among nurses.

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the concept of LSE and understand how it relates to nurses' motivation and aspiration for formal leadership roles.

METHOD

A concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary method identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences of LSE. Twenty-three articles published between 1993 and 2022 were analyzed following a Boolean search of four databases - Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Scopus.

RESULTS

LSE is an important element of nurses' aspiration to leadership. Leadership training, individual traits, and organizational support affect levels of LSE. When LSE is increased, job performance and nurses' motivation to take on formal leadership increase.

CONCLUSION

The concept analysis further expands knowledge about factors that affect LSE. It provides data on how LSE can be harnessed to support leadership development and career aspiration for nurses. Developing and nurturing LSE among nurses may be key in promoting leadership career aspirations. Nurse leaders in practice, research, and academia can use this knowledge as a guide in leadership program development.

The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership and Nurses' Resilience: A Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

Introduction

Authentic leadership has been identified as a style needed to promote quality patient care and nurses' retention.

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the authentic leadership exhibited by nurse managers and the levels of resilience and self-efficacy among nurses.

Methods

A descriptive correlational study was conducted in an Egyptian hospital. A sample of convenience nurses (N = 285) completed the Authentic Leadership Inventory, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The data were analyzed with correlation and structural equation modeling.

Results

The highest percentages of nurses (53.33% and 45.96%) perceived their nurse managers as having either moderate or high levels of authentic leadership. The majority of nurses rated themselves as moderately resilient (63.98%, 25.59 ± 6.56) and highly efficacious (76.70%, 30.68 ± 4.95). Furthermore, the analysis conducted using SPSS-AMOS reveals a significant positive association between the variables. Specifically, authentic leadership, along with its constituent components, accounts for approximately 22% of the overall variance observed in nurses' resilience. Additionally, it is shown that these same factors explain approximately 34% of the variance in nurses' self-efficacy. Moreover, the mediating role of self-efficacy was found to explain 49.3% of the variability in nurses' resilience.

Conclusion

Nurse leaders should be aware of and implement effective and authentic leadership behaviors and apply tailored strategies for fostering nurses' resilience and self-efficacy to deal with the challenging healthcare environment.

An evaluation of the impact for healthcare professionals after a leadership innovation fellowship program

BACKGROUND

Leadership among healthcare professionals is required to address important healthcare challenges. The TAHSNp Health Professions Innovation Fellowship program ("Program") supports health professionals' leadership development by offering them an opportunity to lead a quality improvement project and participate in a curriculum focused on leading change.

OBJECTIVE

As part of an outcome evaluation of the program, our objective was to determine the program's impact on leadership activities and roles undertaken by alumni.

METHODS

A questionnaire was administered to participants who completed the program in 2019 and 2020 at 6 and 18 months post-program to assess their leadership activities, leadership roles and the program's impact. Prospectively, we conducted internal and LinkedIn searches to identify current roles and obtained personal statements from program alumni of medical imaging health professions as complementary data sources for our program evaluation.

RESULTS

At 6 and 18 months post-program, 47% - 59% of alumni respondents reported participation in hospital/organization committees, mentoring fellows or students, and presenting scholarly work inside or outside their organizations (6 months: N = 25, response rate = 39.1%; 18 months: N = 17, response rate = 26.6%). Additionally, at 18 months post program, 35% - 41% of alumni reported leading a new quality improvement initiative, pursuing formal education, and having a new leadership role. Most alumni reported their leadership activities were influenced by the program, with the largest impact occurring after 18 months post-program for leading a new quality improvement initiative (100%), career plans for the next five years (94%), mentoring fellowship staff (91%), presenting at their healthcare organization (91%) and a new leadership role (90%). Alumni reported the program helped build their confidence, create networking opportunities, leadership skill-building and interest in pursuing other roles beyond their clinical role. More specifically, alumni reported that leadership skills gained from the program were used in subsequent roles and responsibilities.

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS

The program evaluation demonstrates engaged alumni who undertake informal and formal leadership activities and roles. Our results are illustrative of the value-add as a result of healthcare organizations' investment in developing leadership among healthcare professionals. As continued engagement and career development are known to be important for staff retention and succession planning strategies, our findings are highly relevant given the current staffing challenges in healthcare.

Psychometric Properties of the Albanian Version of the Nursing Self-Efficacy Scale

There are few tools to ascertain self-efficacy, which is a valuable component of nursing skills. This study has tested the psychometric properties of an Albanian translation of the Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale (NPSES), which is based on Bandura's theory of social cognition. Data were collected using questionnaires which were filled out by 423 nurses from the twelve provinces of the Albanian health system. The scale's content, face, and construct validity were evaluated. Reliability was verified using Cronbach's α and test-retest and by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficients. The original NPSES has two factors; for the A-NPSES analyzed in this study, four factors emerged from the factorial analysis of our reference sample: nursing care procedure situation, nursing research situation, nursing ethics situation, and nursing practice situation. Cronbach's α was 0.91, indicating that the tool is reliable. The results of this study demonstrate the validity and reliability of the Albanian version of the NPSES. This scale is a valuable tool for self-assessing nurses' self-efficacy. An adequate scale for measuring nurses' self-efficacy can be used to improve the quality of clinical nursing care.

The influence of authentic leadership on nurses' turnover intentions and satisfaction with quality of care in Saudi Arabia: A structural equation modelling study

AIM(S)

The study aimed to test a model that examined the relationships between authentic leadership, psychological safety, work engagement and team effectiveness and subsequent effects of team effectiveness on job turnover intentions and nurse satisfaction with quality of care.

BACKGROUND

Nurse leaders who exhibit authentic leadership have been shown to contribute to the development of healthy work environments. In workplaces with demonstrated authentic leadership, nurses are more engaged and have lower job turnover intentions.

METHOD(S)

A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used to test the hypothesized model via structural equation modelling. A total of 456 nurses were included.

RESULTS

Structural equation modelling analysis indicated a good fit for the hypothesized model. Authentic leadership had a positive, significant and direct relationship with team effectiveness, nurses' work engagement and psychological safety. Team effectiveness was found to be negatively related to job turnover intentions but positively related to nurse satisfaction with quality of care.

CONCLUSION(S)

Results of this study may help nursing leaders have a better understanding of the essential role of leadership style in increasing healthy work environments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Applying authentic leadership style in nursing practice could help to reduce the shortage of nurses stemming from the high turnover intentions of nurses.

Authentic Leadership Questionnaire applied to Brazilian nurses: evidence of validity

OBJECTIVE

to establish the psychometric properties of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) applied to Brazilian nurses.

METHOD

cross-sectional observational study with a non-probabilistic sample. The psychometric properties of the RATER and SELF versions of the ALQ were calculated using confirmatory factor analysis with the WLSMV robust estimation method. The following indices were used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the model: chi-square by degrees of freedom (χ2/df), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR). Data reliability was analyzed using the ordinal coefficient alpha and composite reliability.

RESULTS

181 nurses participated of the study (female gender: 80.1%; mean age of 34.6 years; working time of less than five years: 76.3%). The complete ALQ RATER and ALQ SELF models did not present an adequate fit. Therefore, the refined models presented a better fit to the sample data (ALQ RATER: χ2/df=2.77; CFI=0.97; TLI=0.97; RMSEA=0.10; SRMR=0.05; ALQ SELF: χ2/df=2.74; CFI=0.94; TLI=0.92; RMSEA=0.10; SRMR=0.08). In the ALQ RATER model, items 1, 7 and 13 were excluded. Due to the high correlation between the factors Relational Transparency and Moral Perspective, a three-factor model based on the combination of the factors mentioned above was proposed. In the ALQ SELF model, items 2, 5, 9 and 10 were excluded. Likewise, a three-factor model based on the combination of two factors, now called Self-Awareness Balance, was proposed.

CONCLUSION

the data obtained with the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire with Brazilian nurses were valid and reliable.

Health Literacy in Patients’ Clinical Records of Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review

Introduction

Health literacy (HL) can be defined as the individual's ability to understand and process health information. A low level of HL can be viewed as a stronger predictor of a person's health status than age, education level, and race. Although HL is an important determinant of health, it is often underestimated. This systematic review investigates the evidence on HL assessment in hospital settings.

Methods

PubMed Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and Educational Resources Information Centre databases were searched, with the date last searched being 16 March 2020. The PRISMA guidelines were applied, and the protocol of the study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021236029). The quality of the included studies was appraised using the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for cross-sectional studies.

Results

Five studies reported HL assessments in hospital patients’ clinical records. Four main strategies were used to implement HL routine assessment in hospitals: multidisciplinary teams, stakeholders, training, and monitoring. Different performance measures were used to monitor the feasibility of incorporating HL assessment into electronic health records (EHRs).

Conclusion

This review examined how inpatients’ HL is recorded in hospital settings. HL is poorly measured in a hospital setting. These results guide hospital leadership in involving nurses in HL assessment implementation in hospitals and support nurses in creating a specific performance measure dashboard to monitor effective HL assessments in hospitals.

The Trend of Authentic Leadership Skills in Nursing Education: The Key Role of Perfectionism and Self-Efficacy

(1) Background: Shaping leadership skills is a complex process, which may be modified by psychological factors such as self-efficacy and perfectionism. The aim of the study was to determine whether perfectionism can be a mediator between self-efficacy, and authentic leadership skills in nursing students; (2) Methods: The cross-sectional study included 615 Polish nursing students (women = 96.3%) was carried out at Medical University of Warsaw in 2019. The following research tools were used: Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES); (3) Results: The level of perfectionism is a significant mediator of relations between self-efficacy as measured by the GSES and the level of authentic leadership (Sobel test: t = 6.958; p < 0.000). The relation, without a mediating factor, is positive, and the standardized beta coefficient for the feeling of self-efficacy totals beta = 0.470 (p < 0.000), while in the presence of a mediator the strength of the correlation is smaller and amounts to beta = 0.366 (p < 0.000); (4) Conclusions: Personality factors such as self-efficacy and perfectionism play an important role in shaping AL skills of nursing students. Therefore, academic teachers should pay special attention to strengthening students’ self-efficacy and adaptive perfectionism. In this context, adequate feedback and reflection may be important.

Authentic Leadership Questionnaire aplicado a enfermeros brasileños: evidencias de validez

Resumen Objetivo: estimar las propiedades psicométricas del Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) aplicado a enfermeros brasileños. Método: estudio observacional transversal con muestreo no probabilístico. Las propiedades psicométricas de las versiones RATER y SELF del ALQ se estimaron mediante análisis factorial confirmatorio con el método de estimación robusta WLSMV. Como índices de calidad de ajuste de los modelos se utilizó: razón de chi-cuadrado por grados de libertad (χ2/gl), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) y Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR). La confiabilidad de los datos se analizó mediante el coeficiente alfa ordinal y la confiabilidad compuesta. Resultados: participaron 181 enfermeros (sexo femenino: 80,1%; edad media de 34,6 años; tiempo de trabajo inferior a cinco años: 76,3%). Los modelos completos ALQ RATER y ALQ SELF no mostraron un ajuste adecuado. Por lo tanto, el modelo refinado presentó un mejor ajuste para la muestra (ALQ RATER: χ2/gl=2,77; CFI=0,97; TLI=0,97; RMSEA=0,10; SRMR=0,05; ALQ SELF: χ2/gl=2,74; CFI=0,94, TLI=0,92, RMSEA=0,10, SRMR=0,08). En el modelo ALQ RATER se eliminaron los ítems 1, 7 y 13. Debido a la alta correlación entre los factores Transparencia Relacional y Perspectiva Moral, se propuso un modelo de tres factores basado en la unión de los factores mencionados anteriormente. En el modelo ALQ SELF se eliminaron los ítems 2, 5, 9 y 10. Asimismo, se propuso un modelo trifactorial basado en la unión de dos factores, ahora denominado Equilibrio de Autoconciencia. Conclusión: los datos obtenidos con el Authentic Leadership Questionnaire con enfermeros brasileños fueron válidos y confiables.

Authentic Leadership Questionnaire applied to Brazilian nurses: evidence of validity

Objective:

to establish the psychometric properties of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) applied to Brazilian nurses.

Method:

cross-sectional observational study with a non-probabilistic sample. The psychometric properties of the RATER and SELF versions of the ALQ were calculated using confirmatory factor analysis with the WLSMV robust estimation method. The following indices were used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the model: chi-square by degrees of freedom (χ²/df), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR). Data reliability was analyzed using the ordinal coefficient alpha and composite reliability.

Results:

181 nurses participated of the study (female gender: 80.1%; mean age of 34.6 years; working time of less than five years: 76.3%). The complete ALQ RATER and ALQ SELF models did not present an adequate fit. Therefore, the refined models presented a better fit to the sample data (ALQ RATER: χ²/df=2.77; CFI=0.97; TLI=0.97; RMSEA=0.10; SRMR=0.05; ALQ SELF: χ²/df=2.74; CFI=0.94; TLI=0.92; RMSEA=0.10; SRMR=0.08). In the ALQ RATER model, items 1, 7 and 13 were excluded. Due to the high correlation between the factors Relational Transparency and Moral Perspective, a three-factor model based on the combination of the factors mentioned above was proposed. In the ALQ SELF model, items 2, 5, 9 and 10 were excluded. Likewise, a three-factor model based on the combination of two factors, now called Self-Awareness Balance, was proposed.

Conclusion:

the data obtained with the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire with Brazilian nurses were valid and reliable.