Perceptions of US nurses and nurse leaders on authentic nurse leadership, healthy work environment, intent to leave and nurse well‐being during a second pandemic year: A cross sectional study

Abstract

Aim The main aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of clinical nurses and nurse leaders about authentic nurse leadership, work environment, pandemic impact, well‐being and intent to leave their position and profession during the second year of the pandemic. Background This research team studied the variables pre‐pandemic and in year one of the pandemic. As the pandemic continued, subsequent reports of workforce instability, deteriorating work environment and vulnerable well‐being called for an understanding of the current state to inform needed actions by leadership. Methods This study is a cross‐sectional, descriptive, correlational analysis using national survey data from 1795 US clinical nurses and nurse leaders in the fall of 2021. Results Pandemic impact was high, authentic nurse leadership was present, healthy work environment was not present and nurse well‐being was at‐risk and negatively correlated to both healthy work environment and authentic nurse leadership. Within our sample, 61.8% of nurses had no intention to leave their positions, and 82.5% had no intention to leave the profession. Compared with clinical nurses, nurse managers had significantly higher scores on all instruments. Conclusions The findings of this study support leadership as positively related to a healthy work environment. Authentic nurse leadership, a healthy work environment and nurse well‐being are all critical components of efforts to stabilize the nursing workforce as we recover and rebuild post‐pandemic. Implications for Nursing Management This is a call to action for leadership that will serve the goals of retaining nurses, rebuilding work environments and improving well‐being.

Competencies of Nurse Managers as Predictors of Staff Nurses’ Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention

“…Regarding nurse outcomes, the findings of this study revealed that one-third of respondents were considering leaving their current workplace; the figure was comparable to or slightly better than those of previous studies, which reported that about 40 to 50 per cent of staff nurses intended to leave their current workplace in Taiwan and the United States [ 19 , 20 , 31 ]. This can be attributed to two factors.…”

“…Researchers examined the associations between nurse outcomes and their practice environment, and noted that “dissatisfaction with management” is the top-ranked factor leading to the intention of nurses to leave their workplace [ 19 ]. They emphasized the role of nurse managers in rebuilding the nursing work environment and retaining nurses and stressed that there is an urgent need to further explore issues related to the competencies of nurse managers and nurse outcomes in light of the pandemic [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Relationship between Transition Shock, Professional Stressors, and Intent to Leave the Nursing Profession during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A higher transition shock in nurses who intend to leave their profession may be explained by a professional overload, inadequate working aspects, and higher personal and professional COVID-19 stressors, which all have an impact on their personal life. This could be a result of the transition or a toxic workplace environment, endangering the nurse’s well-being and disrupting their mental health [ 20 ]. However, inadequate working conditions and aspects of the organizational climate are cited by more than half of nurses who say they wished to leave nursing prior to the pandemic [ 31 ].…”

“…Transitioning to work in COVID-19 departments may cause the nurses to worry over spreading the virus to their own family and, combined with other significant professional stressors at work, might make transitioning difficult, disturb professional harmony, and increase their desire to leave the nursing field. Studies confirm that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased intent for the nurses to leave their profession [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, previous studies related to the transition mostly identify moving from the role of a student to the role of an employee, where there is a mismatch between personal expectations and the reality in clinical practice [ 10 , 18 , 22 ].…”

Well‐being in acute care nurse managers: A risk analysis of physical and mental health factors

“…Ongoing pandemic‐related stress has led to a higher exodus rate of healthcare workers from the profession, which, in turn, has the potential to create an unstable workforce (Rangachari & Woods, 2020; Shah et al, 2021). Nurse managers’ well‐being is a critical element of a secure workforce (Raso et al, 2022). During the pandemic, nurse managers in hospital settings have been standing in the gaps between bedside nurses and administrators, trying to secure the processes of care delivery.…”