Observational two-country study of undergraduate nursing students’ self-perceptions of leadership behaviours in clinical practice.

Abstract

Aim Strengthening the future of the nursing workforce through nurturing leadership development in novice and newly qualified nurses through educational programmes is viewed as crucial internationally. Enabling and developing leadership skills is challenging, and nursing students require clinical and academic support throughout their degree programmes. This study aimed to measure undergraduate nursing students’ self-perceptions of clinical leadership behaviours between two countries. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was completed with two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students in England and Israel following ethical approval. The Spanish version of Self-Assessment Leadership 40 item Instrument (SALI) ES-SALI measuring four leadership dimensions was used following translation into English and Hebrew. A web-based anonymous survey using Qualtrics online software was distributed from October 2021 to April 2022. Results: The overall response rate was 22.5% (n=138) [27% (Israel); 18% (England)]—Cronbach’s Alpha= 0.94 overall and >0.7 in each dimension. Demographic differences noted older aged students: (>32 years) in England 50.1% V Israel 6.6% p <0.001; and previous work experience: England 84.8% V Israel 44.3% p<0.001. Significant differences were identified in two leadership dimensions, with English students reporting higher scores: “Emotional Intelligence” England M= 3.22 (SD 0.54) V Israel M= 3.02 (SD 0.54) and “Impact and Influence” England M= 3.13 (SD 0.58) V Israeli M= 2.97 (SD 0.53). Year of study was consistent with higher leadership scores for both cohorts in the middle year of study. Conclusions: Previous evidence establishes the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership development and providing quality care. This study demonstrates differences in perceptions of leadership among nursing students in two countries with implications for the profession and workforce development. Nurse educators should consider enhanced leadership skill development in preparing nurses to provide quality, safe and person-centred care.