The influence of leadership practices and empowerment on Canadian nurse manager outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the influence of senior nurse leadership practices on middle and first-line nurse managers' experiences of empowerment and organizational support and ultimately on their perceptions of patient care quality and turnover intentions.


BACKGROUND
Empowering leadership has played an important role in staff nurse retention but there is limited research to explain the mechanisms by which leadership influences nurse managers' turnover intentions.


METHODS
This study was a secondary analysis of data collected using non-experimental, predictive mailed survey design. Data from 231 middle and 788 first-line Canadian acute care managers was used to test the hypothesized model using path analysis in each group.


RESULTS
The results showed an adequate fit of the hypothesized model in both groups but with an added path between leadership practices and support in the middle line group.


CONCLUSIONS
Transformational leadership practices of senior nurses empower middle- and first-line nurse managers, leading to increased perceptions of organizational support, quality care and decreased intent to leave.


CONCLUSIONS
Empowered nurse managers at all levels who feel supported by their organizations are more likely to stay in their roles, remain committed to achieving quality patient care and act as influential role models for potential future leaders.
Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. hkl@uwo.ca
Heather K
HK
Spence Laschinger
Carol A
CA
Wong
Ashley L
AL
Grau
Emily A
EA
Read
Lisa M
LM
Pineau Stam
D002170:Canada; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods