Pulse Check: The Role of Leadership in Supporting Nurses’ Well-Being

Watson, 2024). Nurses reported feeling undervalued and distressed from excessive workloads, especially in high-pressured settings like Intensive Care Units (ICUs), where inadequate staffing levels and high patient acuity exacerbated these challenges (Jeffs et al., 2024;Watson, 2024).The nursing workforce continues to show troubling signs of decline, with rising levels of psychological distress, burnout, and turnover rates (Galanis et al., 2024).These trends pose substantial risks to team dynamics, the quality of patient care, and the long-term viability of healthcare systems.Such risks emphasize an urgent need for supportive leadership and sustainable work environments to counteract these stressors and improve resilience across the profession (Niinihuhta et al., 2022).In the past two years, the Journal of Advanced Nursing has published numerous articles underscoring the critical role of leadership in supporting nurses' well-being.This virtual issue features eight studies demonstrating how effective leadership enhances nurses' mental health, resilience, and job satisfaction. The Heart of HealthcareLeadership in healthcare is undeniably central to fostering nurse well-being, team cohesion, and, ultimately, effective patient care.Holtan et al (2024) illustrate that leaders who