The relationship between leadership behaviours of ward nurse managers and teamwork competency of nursing staff: A cross‐sectional study in Japanese hospitals

Aims The aim of this study was to clarify what kind of leadership behaviours of ward nursing managers are related to the teamwork competency of nursing staff. Background There are two types of leadership behaviours: administrative and emotional intelligence leadership. While emotional intelligence leadership is important for teamwork, it is not clear how it relates to individual teamwork competency. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire survey was distributed among 13 hospitals in Japan between May and August 2019. Results We analysed 960 questionnaires. Multiple regression analyses revealed that two emotional intelligence leadership behaviours (staff nurturing and support, and care for patients) were positively associated with all three teamwork competencies (skill, knowledge and attitude, β = 0.141–0.318). Regarding administrative leadership behaviours, only human resource management was related to teamwork competency knowledge (β = 0.182). Conclusion Nurses' teamwork competencies were primarily related to emotional intelligence leadership. Furthermore, their teamwork competency was related more to nurse managers' behaviour towards patients and other staff members rather than towards themselves. Implications for nursing management Nurse managers need to be role models for nursing staff, recognizing that the way they relate to others influences the teamwork competency of their nursing staff.