The Relationship between Nursing Managers’ Leadership Styles and Registered Nurses’ Intent to Stay in Jordanian Private Hospitals

Understanding the factors influencing nurses' intent to stay is crucial for developing workforce retention strategies. This study examined the relationship between registered nurses’ intent to stay and the perceived leadership styles of their nurse managers in private hospitals in Jordan.

A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed. Data were collected from 220 registered nurses. Participants were recruited from private hospitals in Jordan using a convenience sampling technique. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X) and McCain’s Behavioral Commitment Scale were used to assess the study variables (Nursing Managers’ Leadership Styles and Registered Nurses’ Intent to Stay).

Nurses reported moderate to high levels of intent to stay. Transformational leadership was positively and significantly associated with nurses' intent to stay, with the strongest relationships observed for Inspirational Motivation (r = .83, p < .001), followed by Individual Consideration (r = .79, p < .001), and Intellectual Stimulation (r = .46, p < .001). Negative relationships were found between nurses’ intent to stay and Management by Exception (Passive) (r = –.36, p < .001), Laissez-Faire (r = –.17, p = .014), and department capacity (r = –.14, p = .037). Statistically significant differences in intent to stay were observed based on gender and financial status.

Transformational leadership strongly influences nurses’ intent to stay. The findings of this study offer valuable clinical implications for enhancing nurse retention. They highlight the importance of focusing on workplace conditions, leadership style, and perceived organizational support when designing retention interventions.