Relationship between work‐related psychosocial factors and self‐leadership in advanced nurse practitioners: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between advanced nurse practitioners' self-leadership and commitment to the workplace, work engagement and influence at work.

Background

The concept of self-leadership is particularly suited to ANPs, who are required to take responsibility for their work roles. An optimum balance between the ANPs' psychosocial work environment and self-leadership may positively impact work ability in this group and can be compromised by interactions between and among these variables.

Design

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted from July 2020 to August 2020 on 153 ANPs across a national health service.

Methods

The survey was distributed to respondents online. The revised self-leadership questionnaire was used to measure self-leadership, and three scales from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire were used to measure commitment to the workplace, work engagement and influence at work. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between self-leadership and the psychosocial variables.

Results

ANPs with high levels of self-leadership reported high levels of work engagement and commitment to the workplace. No relationship was found between self-leadership and influence at work.

Conclusion

Improving self-leadership among ANPs by involving them in strategic leadership activities at an organizational level could be an effective strategy for optimizing the role and facilitating ANPs to contribute at an organizational level beyond the clinical interface. However, organizational support is required to ensure that ANPs practise to the full potential of their training and capability.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Impact

This study provided new evidence of a relationship between ANPs' self-leadership and psychosocial factors. This study found that ANPs with high levels of self-leadership reported high levels of work engagement and commitment to the workplace. Policymakers and organizational leaders can optimize the ANP role and facilitate ANPs to contribute strategically to improve care systems. This study identifies a relationship between ANPs' self-leadership and specific psychosocial variables.