Relationship between nursing managers’ leadership styles and nurses’ job burnout: A study at Shahid Dr. Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: Burnout, which is mostly found among workers in social services like nursing and teaching, is a continued response to stressful stimuli at work. Objectives: Considering the importance of management in nursing, we investigated the relationship between managers’ leadership styles and nurses’ burnout. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed at Shahid Dr. Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, in 2011. It was based on the Maslach Burnout Model. A random sample of 207 nurses completed a questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, a burnout measure, and the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ). Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS. The study period was from January to March 2011. Results: Burnout scores for emotional exhaustion were above average (27.26), for depersonalization were low (5.96), and for reduced personal accomplishment were high (30.85). In addition, both transformational (P = 0.03) and transactional leadership (P = 0.04) had a significant negative relationship with total burnout and also with emotional exhaustion (P value = 0.01) and depersonalization (P = 0.003). Laissez-faire leadership had a significant negative relationship with reduced personal accomplishment (P = 0.004). Conclusions: This study sheds light on the effective role of transformational leadership in improving nursing management and reducing burnout among nurses. Because this style of leadership enhances creativity and motivation among nurses, it can decrease burnout. Transactional leadership, because of its emphasis on collaboration, also reduces burnout. Therefore a combination of these two styles can reduce nurses’ burnout.