Aesthetic Leadership in Nursing: A Theoretical Proposal for Rehumanizing Care Delivery

Aesthetic leadership in nursing constitutes a disruptive conceptual proposal that questions and redefines traditional leadership models within healthcare settings. This article develops an original theoretical framework that incorporates the aesthetic dimension as a structuring category of care, emphasizing the role of beauty, presence, and relational ethics in transforming healthcare delivery. Grounded in ontological, epistemological, ethical, and phenomenological dimensions, aesthetic leadership is framed as a praxis that transcends technical competence and operational management, aiming at transforming the caregiving experience and strengthening authentic bonds between nurses and patients. Based on a critical review of established nursing theories, including those proposed by Jean Watson, Imogene King, Betty Neuman, Madeleine Leininger, Patricia Benner, and Dorothy Johnson, a reconceptualization of leadership is proposed, integrating a holistic vision that articulates ethical, aesthetic, existential, and emotional dimensions in clinical practice. This theoretical model highlights the need to incorporate artistic, expressive, and symbolic resources into caregiving processes, with the purpose of enriching the caregiving experience, preserving human dignity, and promoting meaningful intersubjective relationships. Finally, it is argued that aesthetic leadership represents a pertinent pathway for the rehumanization of care in contemporary clinical contexts, proposing future research directions aimed at evaluating the impact of aesthetic practices on care quality, patient experience, and the professional well-being of nurses.