title: Leadership effectiveness and recorded sickness absence among nursing staff: a cross-sectional pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate nurse managers' leadership behaviour in relation to the sickness absence records of nursing staff.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Sickness absence is high in healthcare and interferes with nursing efficiency and quality. Nurse managers' leadership behaviour may be associated with nursing staff sickness absence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six nurse managers completed the Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability Description (LEAD) questionnaire, which assesses leadership behaviour in terms of leadership flexibility (i.e. the range of leadership styles) and effectiveness (i.e. using the leadership style that is appropriate for a given situation). LEAD scores were linked to the number of recorded days of sickness absence and both short (1-7 days) and long (>7 days) episodes of sickness absence in the nursing teams.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leadership flexibility of nurse managers was not associated with sickness absence among nurses. High leadership effectiveness was associated with fewer days and fewer short episodes of sickness absence. Leadership effectiveness was unrelated to the number of long episodes of sickness absence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Effective nurse managers had less short-term sickness absence in their nursing teams.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If these tentative cross-sectional associations are confirmed in longitudinal studies including more departments, then training effective leadership may improve the management of short-term sickness absence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. info@schreuderarbo.nl
authors.forename: Jolanda A H
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schreuder
authors.forename: Corné A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Roelen
authors.forename: Nely F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Van Zweeden
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jongsma
authors.forename: Jac J L
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Van der Klink
authors.forename: Johan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Groothoff
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000523:psychology*; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*