The Effect of Nurses ‘Leadership Behavior on the Quality of Nursing Care and Patient Outcomes
Ayşe Akbıyık, Esra Akın Korhan, Servet Kıray, Merve KIRŞAN
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The effect of nursing management styles on patient outcomes and the quality of nursing care (QNC) has recently become a topic of discussion. This review was conducted to examine the effects of leadership styles or behaviors on QNC and on patient outcomes. METHODS: 13 research studies published between 1 January 2010 and 31 May 2016 which conformed to the inclusion criteria were reviewed. RESULTS: The effects of nursing leaders' leadership styles or behaviors were examined in studies on patient mortality, QNC from the perspective of nurses, patient satisfaction, unwanted/adverse events, health-care-associated infections, pressure ulcers, falls, unwanted weight loss, hospital readmissions, mismanagement of feeding tubes, and inadequacies in daily nursing care. CONCLUSIONS: Relationship-focused leadership behaviors directly or indirectly improved patient outcomes and raised the QNC compared with task-focused leadership behaviors.