The Leadership Practices of Nurse Managers and the Association with Nursing Staff Retention and the Promotion of Quality Care in Two Saskatchewan Hospitals

Abstract The leadership practices of nurse managers and the association with nursing staff retention and the promotion of quality care in two Saskatchewan hospitals? Doctor of Philosophy, 2009, Karen Eisler Graduate Department of Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore the relationship between nurse managers’ leadership practices as measured by Kouzes and Posners’ (2001) Leadership Practice Inventory and staff nurses’ intent to leave the job, absenteeism, medication errors and the quality of care. A total of 450 RNs and LPNs responded to a mailed survey. The respondents were representative of the target population; 54% were 46 years of age or older, 81% RNs and 19% LPNs, 95% female, over 65% had at least 11 years of nursing experience, and 65% worked fulltime. Staff nurses gave low ratings of their managers’ use of the five transformational leadership practices. There was a weak or non significant relationship between the five leadership practices and staff nurses’ intent to leave, absenteeism or medication errors. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that some of the leadership practices had a significant positive relationship with perceived quality of patient care and nursing care on the unit. The strongest predictors of quality of patient care (23% of the variance) were the leadership practices, Challenge the process, Inspire a shared vision, Enable others to act and Model the way. The strongest predictors of the quality of nursing care (16% of the variance) were the leadership practices, Model the way and Challenge the process. The results of this study indicated that managers’ use of transformational leadership practices can affect the staff nurses’ perception of the quality of patient care and nursing care on a unit. It is important that nurse managers develop leadership practices to promote high quality care in Saskatchewan hospitals.Ph