title: Leadership and job satisfaction among Azorean hospital nurses: an application of the situational leadership model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe nurse managers' leadership behaviours, comparing them with staff nurses' perceptions of their leader's leadership, as well as to determine if leadership components affect job satisfaction among staff nurses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Understanding the leadership phenomenon using a detailed theoretical framework, such as the situational leadership model, allows for the deconstruction of leadership into small segments, thereby producing a vast but detailed picture of the process involved in leading people.
  
  
  METHODS
  This quantitative, descriptive, inferential and correlational study involved the participation of 266 nurses (managers and staff) from two public Portuguese Azorean hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability Description questionnaire, developed by Hersey and Blanchard, was used to assess leadership behaviours. A job satisfaction instrument, developed by the authors, was also used to determine staff nurses' satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study revealed important differences between nurse managers and staff nurses regarding the perception of leadership components. Low levels of job satisfaction among staff nurses were detected. It was also found that some leadership components are related to staff nurses' satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurse managers must be aware of their leadership, applying appropriate styles, thereby developing their staff nurses' skills while promoting their professional satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leadership is a complex process that is not separable from job satisfaction. Promoting effective leadership through formal training among nurse managers may translate into having more satisfied nurses, better nursing care, and stronger leadership.
authors.affiliation: Central Operating Theatre, Divino Espírito Santo Hospital EPE, Azores, Portugal. furtado_luis@sapo.pt
authors.forename: Luís Carlos Do Rego
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.forename: Maria da Graça Câmara
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Francisco José Ferreira
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001394:Azores; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011174:Portugal; D011582:Psychological Theory