Journal of Research Development in Nursing and Midwifery (Apr 2024)
The relationship of communication skills with leadership style and conflict management strategies of head nurses: A cross-sectional study in Northern Iran
Abstract
Background: Head nurses, as operational managers of hospitals, require robust communication skills, comprehensive leadership knowledge, and proficient conflict management strategies. By utilizing appropriate management techniques based on these skills, head nurses can actively contribute to enhancing efficiency, improving performance, and delivering high-quality services within the hospital setting. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between communication skills, conflict management, and leadership style among head nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021, involving 166 head nurses employed across 16 hospitals affiliated with Golestan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The sampling method employed was a census approach, encompassing the entire population of interest. After obtaining ethical approval, data were collected using established instruments, including Robbins' Evaluation of the Conflict Resolution Questionnaire, Queendom's Interpersonal Communication Skills Test, and Bass and Avolio's leadership style Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests were utilized to analyze the collected data. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The findings revealed that the total score of communication skills, particularly the dimensions of emotional control and listening skills, exhibited a significant positive association with the overall score of conflict management and its three distinct strategies. Moreover, a significant positive relationship was observed between the ability to receive and send messages and the contingent leadership style (P-value = 0.043). Conversely, the orientation strategy demonstrated a negative impact on leadership quality, as it was found to diminish leadership quality across all dimensions for head nurses. Furthermore, the control strategy exhibited a significant negative correlation with the charismatic leadership style (P-value = 0.037). Lastly, the overall score of conflict management displayed a significant negative association with the charismatic leadership style (P-value = 0.031). Conclusion: The assessment of head nurses' communication skills indicated an average proficiency level. The prevailing leadership style adopted by supervisors was charismatic, while the predominant conflict management strategy employed was non-confrontation. It is recommended that effective plans aimed at improving communication skills, fostering effective leadership, and enhancing conflict management be implemented within hospital departments to enhance the current situation. This can be achieved through organizing impactful training workshops and utilizing supportive and motivational mechanisms.
