The following is a summary of “Mediating Role of Psychological Capital on the Relationship between Authentic Leadership and Nurses’ Caring Behavior: A Cross-sectional Study,” published in the November 2023 issue of Primary Care by Zhang et al.

The influence of nurses’ caring behavior on patient outcomes is pivotal, often influenced by external organizational resources and internal psychological factors. Past studies have linked nurses’ caring behavior with authentic leadership and psychological capital. Nonetheless, the interrelationship between these aspects remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether psychological capital mediates the connection between nursing managers’ authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behavior. 

In December 2021, 3,662 nurses from 37 hospitals in Anhui Province participated in an online survey encompassing demographic details, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Caring Behavior Inventory. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling and bootstrapping techniques, the study analyzed the mediating role of psychological capital. The scores of authentic leadership, psychological capital, and caring behavior among 3,495 nurses averaged 52.04 ± 13.24, 96.89 ± 17.78, and 104.28 ± 17.01, respectively. 

Notably, psychological capital significantly mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behavior (β = 0.378, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.350 ~ 0.402), constituting 78.75% of the total impact (0.480). This study implies that fostering an authentic leadership style among nursing managers could effectively enhance nurses’ compassionate patient care. Moreover, the results advocate bolstering psychological support and training for nurses to reinforce their caring behavior in clinical practice.

Source: bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-023-01610-4