Effects of leadership and span of control on nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Hospital restructuring has resulted in nurse managers' having direct responsibility for a greatly expanded number of units and staff. However, very little research has examined the impact of these larger spans of control on nurse and patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationships between leadership style, span of control, nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction, as well as the moderating effect of span of control on the relationship between leadership style and the two outcomes. METHODS: The study was conducted at seven teaching and community hospitals with a sample of 51 units, 41 nurse managers, 717 nurses and 680 patients. Data analyses included multiple regression and hierarchical linear modelling. RESULTS: The study findings provided support for the theoretical relationships among leadership style, span of control, nurse job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. In addition, the results showed that higher spans of control decreased the positive effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction and patient satisfaction, and increased the negative effects of management by exception and laissez-faire leadership styles on job satisfaction. DISCUSSION: Leadership matters, and certain leadership styles, particularly transformational, are better than others. Span of control also matters: the wider the span, the lower the nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. However, as spans of control increase in size, no leadership style, even transformational, can overcome the negative effects.

Leadership for ethical policy and practice (LEPP): participatory action project.

Within Canada's fast-paced, ever-changing healthcare environment, providers are experiencing difficulty practising according to their professional ethical standards, leading many to experience moral or ethical distress. Limited attention has been paid to improvements in the ethical climate in healthcare settings in research focusing on nurses' workplaces. In this three-year study, we focused on how the ethical climate in healthcare delivery can be improved and how the use of participatory action research methods can lead to continued enhancements and lasting changes in services delivery. Together, we developed strategies for taking action, aimed at improving the quality of the work environment. This action involved both nurses in direct care and those in key leadership positions (CNOs or their equivalents). Through the active participation of those for whom the research-based change was intended, these strategies were tested in various sites across British Columbia and can be used as templates or designs for use in other settings. A key component of the success of the projects and action plans that were created was the integral involvement of nurse leaders through all phases.