First-level nurse managers' leadership behaviors and its effect on staff nurses' attitudes towards patients' safety in pediatric' critical care units

ABSTRACT

The leadership skills and abilities of nurse managers have long been recognized as making a critical contribution to the smooth operation of inpatient units and the success of acute care hospitals. Moreover, Leader behaviors and the relationships of these leaders with staff, including nursing, are widely acknowledged as positive influences on the adoption of safety behaviors. So the present study aimed at to identify the effect of first-level nurse managers' leadership behaviors on staff nurses attitudes towards patients safety at pediatric 'critical care units. The present study took place in a pediatric critical care units .It contains five critical care units with a total capacity of [61] bed. The study sample consisted of [60] staff nurses. An explanatory correlational research design was used. Data were collected through utilizing two tools; the first tool was the modified Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [Bass and Avolio, 2000] .Second tool was the modified patient safety attitude questionnaire developed by Sexton, Helmreich, Pronovost, Thomas [2004]. The study concluded that all the first level - nurse managers display both transformational and transactional leadership behaviors in different amount ,a positive significant correlations was found between first- level nurse managers 'transformational ,transactional leadership behaviors and staff nurses attitude towards patient safety. The study recommended the implementation of patient safety leadership walk rounds to pediatric' critical care units, moreover, implementation of a reward-based a voluntary reporting and provide safety education to staff nurses