Application of Transformational Leadership in Nursing-An Integrative Review

Nurses play a crucial role as leaders in healthcare and have the ability to turn their vision into reality. The different styles of leadership directly or indirectly affect both nursing and patient outcomes. Among these styles, Transformational Leadership (TFL) is the most preferred. Transformational leaders empower individuals to believe in themselves and have been found to have numerous benefits in nursing and other fields. As a result, this study aims to gather evidence for its application in nursing. The study employed an integrative review approach and searched literature from online databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Additionally, articles were sourced from the reference lists of included articles and through Google. Only articles published from 2020 onwards were considered, resulting in 211 articles being generated from the literature search. However, only 9 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. These 9 articles encompassed a total sample size of 1932 nurses, with the number of participants in each study ranging from 24 to 645 nurses. In terms of study design, 7 were cross-sectional, 1 was qualitative, and 1 was quasi-experimental. Two of the 9 studies were conducted in academic settings, while the remaining 7 were conducted in clinical settings. The findings of the review revealed that Transformational Leadership is the most prevalent style utilized by nurse managers. It was found that TFL by nurse managers resulted in improved quality of life and job satisfaction among nurses, as well as reduced nurse burnout. Additionally, TFL knowledge and skills enhanced the work performance of head nurses, improved organizational commitment, and strengthened team cohesion. Transformational leadership has a positive impact on the educational environment.