title: Caring behaviour perceptions from nurses of their first-line nurse managers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nursing is acknowledged as being the art and science of caring. According to the theory of nursing as caring, all persons are caring but not every behaviour of a person is caring. Caring behaviours in the relationship between first-line nurse managers and Registered Nurses have been studied to a lesser extent than those that exist between patients and nurses. Caring behaviour of first-line nurse managers from the perspective of Registered Nurses is as of yet unknown. Identifying caring behaviours may be useful as a reference for first-line nurse managers caring for nurses in a way that nurses prefer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours from the perspective of Registered Nurses in mainland China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative study, using descriptive phenomenological approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen Registered Nurses recruited by purposive sampling method took part in in-depth interviews. Data were analysed according to Colaizzi's technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three themes of first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours emerged: promoting professional growth, exhibiting democratic leadership and supporting work-life balance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better understanding of the first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours is recognised. The three kinds of behaviours have significant meaning to nurse managers. Future research is needed to describe what first-line nurse managers can do to promote nurses' professional growth, increase the influence of democratic leadership, as well as support their work-life balance.
authors: Department of Nursing, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.|School of Nursing, Medical College of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Peng
authors: Department of Nursing, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors: Yilan
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China.
authors: Qingsong
authors: Q
authors: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002681:China; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: behaviour; caring; first-line nurse manager; nurses; qualitative study