Transformational leadership as a framework for nurse education about hypertension in Uganda

Role and knowledge of nurses in the management of non-communicable diseases in Africa: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

31.4 million people in low- and middle-income countries die from chronic diseases annually, particularly in Africa. To address this, strategies such as task-shifting from doctors to nurses have been proposed and have been endorsed by the World Health Organization as a potential solution; however, no comprehensive review exists describing the extent of nurse-led chronic disease management in Africa.

AIMS

This study aimed to provide a thorough description of the current roles of nurses in managing chronic diseases in Africa, identify their levels of knowledge, the challenges, and gaps they encounter in this endeavor.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review following the key points of the Cochrane Handbook, and two researchers independently realized each step. Searches were conducted using five databases: MEDLINE, PyscINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Embase, between October 2021 and April 2023. A descriptive analysis of the included studies was conducted, and the quality of the studies was assessed using the Downs and Black Scale.

RESULTS

Our scoping review included 111 studies from 20 African countries, with South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana being the most represented. Findings from the included studies revealed varying levels of knowledge. Nurses were found to be actively involved in managing common chronic diseases from diagnosis to treatment. Facilitating factors included comprehensive training, close supervision by physicians, utilization of decision trees, and mentorship. However, several barriers were identified, such as a shortage of nurses, lack of essential materials, and inadequate initial training.

CONCLUSION

There is significant potential for nurses to enhance the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases in Africa. Achieving this requires a combination of rigorous training and effective supervision, supported by robust policies. To address varying levels of knowledge, tailored training programs should be devised. Further research is warranted to establish the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions on population health outcomes.

The impact of COVID-19 on nurse leadership characteristics

Background

Nurse leaders are vital for improving nursing efficiencies and the quality of care that they provide during a crisis and its aftermath. The value of positive leadership characteristics has never been more critical than during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Functioning in a crisis mode required nurse leaders to demonstrate the necessary skills for clear communication and solid leadership. Therefore, nursing leadership, especially in emergencies such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, needs to be transformative in the sense that leaders are informational, motivating, and able to advance the organization, notwithstanding a global pandemic. Timely leadership research during and after COVID‐19 is crucial for filling the literature gap resulting from the unique changes in the nursing profession in the post‐pandemic period.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate leadership characteristics shown by nurse leaders during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and investigate nurses' perceptions of nurse leader effectiveness based on leaders' work roles.

Methods

An exploratory, quantitative study was conducted 18 months after the declaration of the COVID‐19 pandemic (June–August 2021). The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X) was sent to registered nurses (RNs) in Texas using the State Board's listing of active RNs. In total, 70 practicing RNs participated in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate correlational analysis.

Results

Perceived leadership characteristics remained primarily transformational. Nurse directors and executives reported positive leadership characteristics more frequently than did staff and charge nurses.

Linking Evidence to Action

Specific tactics and strategies must be adopted to support nurses and nursing leadership during ongoing healthcare challenges. Close monitoring of leadership characteristics will enable organizations to support and provide educational opportunities for ongoing organizational success.

Innovative Enterprises Development and Employees' Knowledge Sharing Behavior in China: The Role of Leadership Style

Leadership is generally considered helpful for team knowledge sharing. However, differences in the influence of different leadership styles on team knowledge sharing mechanism is still unclear. To understand different leadership style foster team knowledge sharing, this study focuses on leader–follower trust during team interactions. From the perspective of leadership as social problem solving, we argue that transformational leadership and authoritative leadership are different linked to team knowledge sharing. Through the collection of a sample of 791 valid questionnaires in China, we used the structural equation model to test the theoretical model. Results showed that: (1) Transformational leadership was positively linked to explicit and implicit knowledge sharing, while authoritative leadership was positively linked to explicit knowledge sharing. (2) Trust tendency mediates the relationship between authoritative leadership and knowledge sharing. (3) Supportive and bureaucratic culture moderate the influence of trust tendency on implicit knowledge sharing, such that the positive relationship is stronger for the low-quality of supportive culture and the high-quality of bureaucratic culture. Finally, The study’s implication for theory and practice were discussed, its limitations were identified, and directions for future research were suggested.

Interventions to strengthen the leadership capabilities of health professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

Leadership is a critical component of a health system and may be particularly important in Sub-Saharan Africa, where clinicians take on significant management responsibilities. However, there has been little investment in strengthening leadership in this context, and evidence is limited on what leadership capabilities are most important or how effective different leadership development models are. This scoping review design used Arksey and O'Malley's approach of identifying the question and relevant studies, selection, charting of data, summarizing of results and consultation. A comprehensive search strategy was used that included published and unpublished primary studies and reviews. Seven databases were searched, and papers written in English and French between 1979 and 2019 were included. Potential sources were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were grouped into common categories and summarized in tables; categories included conceptual approach to leadership; design of intervention; evaluation method; evidence of effectiveness; and implementation lessons. The findings were then analysed in the context of the review question and objectives. Twenty-eight studies were included in the review out of a total of 495 that were initially identified. The studies covered 23 of the 46 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The leadership development programmes (LDPs) described were diverse in their design. No consistency was found in the conceptual approaches they adopted. The evaluation methods were also heterogeneous and often of poor quality. The review showed how rapidly leadership has emerged as a topic of interest in health care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further research on this subject is needed, in particular in strengthening the conceptual and competency frameworks for leadership in this context, which would also inform better evaluation. Our findings support the need for LDPs to be accredited, better integrated into existing systems and to put greater emphasis on institutionalization and financial sustainability from their early development.

Do dimensions of transformational leadership have an effect on workaholism?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between dimensions of the perceived transformational leadership style and the employees’ workaholism.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design was adopted in the present study. The study involved 250 employees working in different Lithuanian organisations. The perceived transformational leadership style was assessed with the help of the Transformational Leadership Inventory (Podsakoff et al., 1990). The ten-item Dutch Work Addiction Scale developed by Schaufeli et al. (2009) was used for measuring workaholism.

Findings

The results revealed a significant positive correlation between the perceived high expectations of the manager, employees’ excessive work and general workaholism. The perceived individualised support was negatively related to the employees’ excessive, compulsive work and general workaholism. It was also found that high performance expectations could predict the employees’ greater excessive work and general workaholism. Moreover, a higher level of individualised support appears to be the most important factor decreasing the employees’ excessive work and proneness to general workaholism. It was further found that the probability of higher levels of workaholism was stronger among the middle managers than among the non-executive employees.

Originality/value

This study contributes to limited empirical research into the negative effect of the transformational leadership style in determining the employees’ health-damaging work behaviour.

Correlation between nursing managers' leadership styles and nurses' job stress and anticipated turnover

AIM

To investigate the relationship between leadership style with nurse job stress and anticipated turnover.

BACKGROUND

An appropriate leadership style should promote the efficacy of nurses. Different leadership styles can affect nurse's job stress and the numbers of nurses leaving their workplace or their profession.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional correlational study, 1,617 nurses were selected from the governmental hospitals in Iran 2016-2017. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS₂₀ .

RESULTS

Nursing Manager's leadership style was transactional leadership. Both transformational and transactional leadership style have a significant relationship with job stress and anticipate staff turnover. A positive relationship was found between a laissez-faire leadership style with job stress and anticipated turnover.

CONCLUSION

The transformational and transactional leadership styles can reduce nurse's job stress and intention to leave, so nurse leaders can use combination of transformational and transactional leadership for improving job satisfaction and quality of nursing services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Leaders should emphasize a clear expression of values, objectives, and mission of the organisation; and try to raise confidence in employees, respecting and caring for them, supporting their views and suggestions, and being optimistic about the future.