Clinical Nurses' Perceptions of Authentic Nurse Leadership and Healthy Work Environment

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between clinical nurses' perception of the authentic nurse leadership of their manager and their perception of the work environment on their unit. BACKGROUND Authentic leadership (AL) and healthy work environments contribute to staff engagement and improved patient outcomes. There is limited research linking these 2 variables. METHODS Two hundred fifty-four clinical nurses at a national conference participated in a cross-sectional, correlational, descriptive study using the Authentic Nurse Leadership Questionnaire and the Critical Elements of a Healthy Work Environment Survey. RESULTS Overall, nurses rated the authentic nurse leadership of their manager as present most of the time and agreed their work environment was healthy. There was a moderate correlation between AL and healthy work environment. Background variables were not significantly related to nurses' perceptions of the authentic nurse leadership of their manager or their work environment. CONCLUSIONS This is the 1st study using these authentic nurse leadership and healthy work environment frameworks. In this novel nursing model of AL, caring is an attribute that was valued by frontline nurses. This is a call to action for leadership development at every level using AL principles and for the improvement of lagging domains in nursing work environments, both critically needed during challenging healthcare times and for the ultimate purpose of improving patient and workforce outcomes.