Kumar Nilesh, Wang Changfeng, Bhutto Muhammad Yaseen
School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, P.R. China.
School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, P.R. China.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Mar 27;13(1):308. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02544-z.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented strain on healthcare systems and their workers worldwide, including nurses. Frontline nurses experienced increased levels of stress and fatigue due to extensive and prolonged work hours, inadequate protective equipment, and fear of contracting the virus. This has resulted in a rise in emotional exhaustion among nurses. Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to address these challenges to sustain workers' psychological wellbeing for better patient outcomes.
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Past studies have shown no link between responsible leadership (RL) and nurses' occupational calling (OC) and emotional exhaustion (EE) amid COVID-9 or any situational setting. Therefore, this study evaluated the effectiveness of RL practices in improving the OC and alleviating the EE of nurses working in the COVID-19 ward of 94 government healthcare settings, including rural health centers (RHCs) and special COVID-19 response centers (CRCs), in Pakistan.
The study employed a quasi-experimental pre-and post-design with responsible leadership-based interventions and a descriptive approach. Leadership practices included effective communication on COVID-19 guidelines, infection control measures, mental health support services, and others. An online questionnaire survey measured pre- and post-intervention effects using RL, OC, and EE scales. The sample comprised 289 frontline nurses, recruited via convenient sampling, who participated in a three-months program in the COVID-19 ward. Data analysis was conducted using AMOS and SPSS software, involving basic analysis and paired T-tests.
The paired t-test results revealed a significant improvement in nurses' OC after the implementation of the RL intervention. The mean score for OC increased from 5.162 (SD = 1.151; t-value = 76.253) to 5.403 (SD = 1.054; t-value = 87.138; p < 0.001). Similarly, the intervention significantly reduced EE among nurses. The mean score for EE decreased from 4.386 (SD = 1.037; t-value = 71.879) to 3.614 (SD = 1.336; t-value = 45.987; p < 0.001). Both were statistically significant.
Policymakers may need to consider the role of leadership practices in mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic on healthcare professionals' well-being (i.e., EE and OC).
Leadership intervention can provide healthcare workers with the necessary skills and resources to cope with the challenges of their jobs, ultimately improving the quality of care provided to patients.
新冠疫情给全球医疗系统及其工作人员，包括护士，带来了前所未有的压力。一线护士由于工作时间过长、防护设备不足以及担心感染病毒，压力和疲劳程度增加。这导致护士情绪耗竭现象增多。因此，组织应对这些挑战以维持工作人员的心理健康，从而实现更好的患者治疗效果至关重要。
过去的研究表明，在新冠疫情期间或任何情况下，责任型领导（RL）与护士的职业使命感（OC）和情绪耗竭（EE）之间没有关联。因此，本研究评估了责任型领导实践在改善巴基斯坦94个政府医疗机构（包括农村健康中心（RHC）和新冠疫情特别应对中心（CRC））新冠病房护士的职业使命感和减轻其情绪耗竭方面的有效性。
本研究采用了基于责任型领导干预的准实验前后设计和描述性方法。领导实践包括就新冠疫情指南、感染控制措施、心理健康支持服务等进行有效沟通。通过在线问卷调查，使用责任型领导、职业使命感和情绪耗竭量表来测量干预前后的效果。样本包括289名一线护士，通过便利抽样招募，他们参与了新冠病房为期三个月的项目。使用AMOS和SPSS软件进行数据分析，包括基本分析和配对t检验。
配对t检验结果显示，实施责任型领导干预后，护士的职业使命感有显著改善。职业使命感的平均得分从5.162（标准差=1.151；t值=76.253）提高到5.403（标准差=1.054；t值=87.138；p<0.001）。同样，该干预显著降低了护士的情绪耗竭。情绪耗竭的平均得分从4.386（标准差=1.037；t值=71.879）降至3.614（标准差=1.336；t值=45.987；p<0.001）。两者均具有统计学意义。
政策制定者可能需要考虑领导实践在减轻疫情对医护人员幸福感（即情绪耗竭和职业使命感）的负面影响方面的作用。
领导干预可以为医护人员提供应对工作挑战所需的技能和资源，最终提高为患者提供的护理质量。
