Comments

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Louisville in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Leadership, Foundations, and Human Resource Education, August 2011.

Copyright 2011 by Lorraine B. Bormann. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Hospitals are challenged to understand factors related to staff nurse retention in the context of the nursing shortage slowdown (Huselid, 1995; Mancino, 2008; Mancino, 2009). Leadership is a major factor in organizational success (Gandossy & Guarnieri, 2008; Gettler, 2003; Wooten & Crane, 2003) and nurse managers are the direct link between the executive nurse leaders and the registered nurses (RN) in the staff position (Taunton, Boyle, Woods, Hansen, & Bott, 1997).

Studies show that nurse manager leader behaviors influence staff nurse job satisfaction (Blegen, 1993; Irvine & Evans, 1995; Lashinger & Finegan, 2005). A primary role of the nurse leader is to plan strategies for recruiting nursing personnel and to prevent rapid and frequent turnover of nursing staff (American Nurses Association [ANA] Nursing Administration Scope and Standards of Practice, 2009). Nurse managers are in a position to influence staff nurses' job satisfaction and retention through their leader behaviors.

McGuire and Kennerly (2006) and Brown and Reilly (2009) conducted studies that show managers perceive their leadership behaviors different than those who reported to them. Bass and Avolio (2004) pointed out that leadership is in the 'eye of the beholder' and the leadership behavior ratings represented the people's perceptions of leaders (p.9). Understanding the staff nurse perception of their nurse manager leadership behaviors that are related to staff nurse job satisfaction will contribute to improving staff nurse retention strategies.

The Magnet Recognition program is one approach to improving staff nurse job satisfaction and retention. The Magnet Recognition program (Magnet) considers that the nurse leaders are the key to nursing excellence (American Nurses Credentialing Center [ANCC], n.d.). The sample population for this study was staff nurses in an acute care hospital applying for Magnet Recognition status.

The purpose of this correlational research study was to describe the relationship between the staff nurse perception of their nurse manager leadership behaviors associated with both the facets of staff nurse job satisfaction (job satisfaction with: work on present job, pay, promotion, supervision, and co-workers) and staff nurse overall job satisfaction and the relationship between the facets of staff nurse job satisfaction and staff nurse overall job satisfaction in an acute care hospital applying for Magnet Recognition status (Magnet status). The intent to depart is conceptually and empirically shown to be a direct antecedent to actual turnover. Overall job satisfaction and turnover are inversely related. Brodke et al. (2009) reported overall job satisfaction was the best predictor of intent to quit. Many studies examined facets of staff nurse job satisfaction but the researcher identified that few if any studies examined nurse manager leadership behaviors related to facets of staff nurse job satisfaction and staff nurse overall job satisfaction in a hospital in the process of applying for Magnet status.

Disciplines

Critical Care Nursing | Nursing | Nursing Administration

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