Leadership Styles, Risk Management, and Staff Support among Head Nurses: Basis for Capacity Building Program

Abstract Leadership is critical in ensuring effective risk management and staff support within healthcare settings. This study aimed to determine the leadership styles, risk management practices, and staff support provided by head nurses in selected hospitals in Bacolod City. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, utilizing a survey questionnaire to collect data from 165 staff nurses. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and chi-square tests of independence were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that task-oriented leadership (M = 4.65, SD = 0.122) was the most prevalent leadership style, while laissez-faire leadership was the least observed (M = 4.59, SD = 0.142). Risk management was rated as high (M = 4.24, SD = 0.492), with monitoring and evaluation as the most substantial component (M = 4.64, SD = 0.572) and reporting and organizational learning as the weakest (M = 3.80, SD = 0.510). Staff support was also rated high (M = 4.25, SD = 0.588), with social support being the strongest (M = 4.60, SD = 0.679) and work-life balance the weakest (M = 3.86, SD = 0.903). A significant difference in risk management perception was found across hospital units (p = 0.009), but no significant differences were found in staff support across demographic variables. Furthermore, no significant relationships were found between leadership style and both risk management (p = 0.055) and staff support (p = 0.117). Aligning the findings into a focused perspective, there is a need for leadership enhancement programs that integrate structured risk management strategies and staff support mechanisms to improve hospital leadership effectiveness. Keywords: Leadership styles, risk management, staff support, nursing leadership, hospital administration