Authentic Leadership and Nurses’ Caring Behavior in China: The Mediating Effect of Psychological Capital

Abstract

Abstract Background An increasing number of studies are indicating that caring behavior is an important indicator of quality nursing care and positive outcomes for patients and nurses. For this reason, identifying the factors that predict nurses’ caring behavior is crucial. Studies showed authentic leadership and psychological capital are the predictors of nurses’ caring behaviors, but the three relationships are still unclear.Methods An online survey was conducted in December 2021 with 3,495 registered nurses working in Ahhui Province, China. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Caring Behavior Inventory were used in this study. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the bootstrapping procedure were utilized to examine the role of psychological capital in mediating the relationship between authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behaviour.Results Authentic leadership, psychological capital, and caring behavior among nurses exhibited significant correlations. Furthermore, psychological capital showed a significant mediating impact (β = 0.378, p < 0.001) on the correlation between authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behavior.Conclusion According to the findings of this research, enhancing psychological capital could help nurses who experience an authentic leadership style improve their caring behaviors effectively. This finding suggests that nursing managers should actively develop an authentic leadership style and take actions or provide education to increase the psychological capital of nurses, which can effectively promote nurses’ caring behaviors toward patients in clinical practice.