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To explain the relationships between nurses' self-leadership and professional autonomy, job satisfaction, and intention to leave the profession.
A descriptive cross-sectional study design.
A total of 230 registered nurses responded to a survey including a Finnish version of the Dempster Practice Behaviour Scale and the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire in fall 2024. Structural equation modelling was used to test hypotheses.
Nurses assessed their self-leadership practices as moderately good. The model indicated that self-goal setting, evaluating beliefs and assumptions, and job satisfaction have positive relationships with professional autonomy, while self-reward and self-punishment have negative relationships with it. It also demonstrated that natural reward strategies have a positive relationship with job satisfaction, while self-punishment has a negative relationship with it. Nurses' professional autonomy and job satisfaction reduce their intention to leave, while evaluating beliefs and assumptions increase it.
Goal setting and using constructive mindsets develop ways of thinking that positively impact nurses' autonomy. This, in turn, leads to higher job satisfaction and lower intention to leave. Natural reward strategies that involve performing meaningful tasks surrounded by empowering people increase job satisfaction. However, not all self-leadership strategies are beneficial: self-punishment can lower professional autonomy and job satisfaction. Additionally, evaluating one's own beliefs and assumptions might increase the intention to leave due to reflective thoughts about the profession.
Implementing professional autonomy and self-leadership practices in organisational structures enhances nurses' valuable role. Empowering leadership encourages nurses to set goals, evaluate beliefs and assumptions, and reward themselves. Moreover, nurses' self-punishment can be avoided with a healthy, open work environment. Self-leadership skills should be strengthened in nursing education to prepare nurses for work demands.
The STROBE checklist.
No patient or public contribution.
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