Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses’ Perceptions of Nurse Leader Behaviors and Their Impact on the Workplace Environment

Nursing leadership is a crucial component in today’s healthcare organizations as nurses make up the largest profession in healthcare overall. Nurse leaders have the ability to affect the environment of the nurses’ workplace in both positive and negative ways, thus impacting their Quality of Nurse Work Life (QNWL). QNWL is an indicator of nurse satisfaction within their workplace, and the ability of the nurse to make meaningful contributions to their home units and the organization. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to describe what it meant to experience nursing leadership from the perspective of Level III and IV bedside NICU nurses. From the stories and examples provided by the nurses in this study, four group experiential themes emerged from the data, leading to the proposal of three solution recommendations. The proposed recommendations are (1) initiating daily nurse leader rounding (2) developing a formal nurse leader orientation and training program, and (3) incorporating a consistent, 360-degree feedback workplace unit. The study results aim to help nurse leaders recognize experiences nurses have when faced with both positive and negative nursing leadership. These recommendations will aid nurse leaders to anticipate challenges bedside NICU nurses may face, while also providing leaders with a chance for self-reflection. This will undoubtedly give nurse leaders the ability to support NICU nurses to remain engaged and dedicated to their work, thus experiencing a higher QNWL. Keywords: nursing leadership, quality of nurse work life, nurse leader rounding, nurse environment, leader feedback environment, nurse leader training

Grantor dc:publisher

Creighton University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• McCulley, Meggan Renee

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Bloomquist, Candace D.
• Moore, Tiffany

• Leadership

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/153973

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/153973