Strategies to Improve Leadership Traits Through the Perspectives of Nursing Students: An Explanatory Sequential Design

Abstract

Background. Today nursing students are the future nursing leaders. Leadership is developed through behavioral theory. Nursing colleges are responsible to produce nursing leaders by facilitating them to exercise 25 successful leadership traits. Therefore, nursing schools should assess their students' leadership skills in the beginning and also at the end of the program to identify which traits have been achieved and not achieved. This study informs the schools regarding the students’ leadership traits and strategies that can be exercised to maximize the development of authentic and transformational leaders/traits. Purpose: The main purpose of this study is divided into two folds. The first one to identify the level of leadership traits of the students, and the second one is to explore the strategies that can be involved to maximize the authentic and transformational leadership traits. Methods:  The study was conducted through the explanatory sequential design with the population of nursing students. The data gathering was conducted first to collect quantitative data and then qualitative data. Findings: The quantitative study revealed three of the most dominant characters that were always done by students. The first one is leadership number 24 in which students are always using stress strategies to reduce their stress (81,4%). It is followed by trait number 3 in which students always admit their fault (73.8%). In the third rank, 69.4% of students always support clear communication and collaboration. Through qualitative data, there are seven themes and 12 sub-themes that found how the students can improve their authentic and transformative (A&T) characters. The activities in each sub-theme proposed by the students are applicable to be exercised in daily lives. Exercising them more often potentially increases the ability to become an A & T leader.