Relationships between leadership, structural empowerment, and engagement in nurses

• Published in: Journal of advanced nursing 2018-12, Vol.74 (12), p.2809-2819
• Main Authors: García‐Sierra, Rosa, Fernández‐Castro, Jordi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Cross-Sectional Studies; Empowerment; engagement; Female; Health facilities; Humans; Interprofessional Relations; Job satisfaction; Leadership; Leadership style; Male; management; Managers; Medical personnel; nurse; Nurse Administrators - psychology; Nurse managers; Nurse's Role; Nurses; Nurses - organization & administration; Nurses - psychology; Nursing Staff, Hospital - organization & administration; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Power, Psychological; Spain; Staff nurses; structural empowerment; Transformational leadership; Well being; Work environment
• ISSN: 0309-2402; 1365-2648
• DOI: 10.1111/jan.13805

Aim The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships among structural empowerment, the leadership style of managers, and the engagement of nurses in a health organization of Spain. Background Transformational leadership has an impact on patient security and satisfaction as well as the well‐being and engagement of healthcare workers. Empowerment is a management practice that is fundamental for professional growth and positively affects the quality of patient care. Design A cross‐sectional study. Methods Randomized sample of 131 nurses recruited from 11 health centres with different levels of care was surveyed to assess managers’ leadership style, nurse empowerment, and work engagement. The data were analysed by descriptive and correlational statistics and hierarchical mediated regression. Results The transformational leadership of the nurse manager directly and positively influences the structural empowerment of nurses. The structural empowerment of nurses directly and positively influences engagement. The transformational leadership of managers positively influences nurse engagement through the mediating effect of structural empowerment. Conclusion The structural empowerment of nurses acts as a mediator between the transformational leadership of nurse managers and nurse engagement. Practical implication The transformational leadership of nurse managers at the unit level has a double impact on staff nurses: first, increasing empowerment and second, increasing the engagement of the nurse staff. 目的 该研究旨在分析西班牙健康组织中结构授权、管理者领导风格和护理人员工作投入度之间的关系。 背景 变革型领导对患者的安全和满意度以及医护人员的健康和工作投入度有影响。授权是一种管理实践,对专业成长至关重要,并对患者护理质量有积极的影响。 设计 横向研究。 方法 从11个不同护理水平的健康中心随机抽取131名护理人员进行调查,以评估管理者的领导风格、护理人员授权及工作投入度。 通过描述性和相关性统计以及层次中介回归进行数据分析。 结果 护理管理者的变革型领导对护理人员的结构授权有直接且积极的影响。护理人员的结构授权对工作投入度有直接且积极的影响。管理者的变革型领导通过结构授权的中介作用对护理人员的工作投入度有积极的影响。 结论 护理人员的结构授权在护理管理者的变革型领导与护理人员工作投入度之间起到了中介作用。 实际影响 科室级护理管理者的变革型领导对护理人员有双重影响:第一,增强授权;第二,提高护理人员的工作投入度。