Exploring the Relationship Between Authentic Leadership and Nurses' Caring Behavior: The Mediating Effect of
Huiqi Chen1, Yi Qiu1, Chenglei Wu1
1School of Nursing, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, zcmu.edu.cn.
Journal of Nursing Management
|March 2, 2026
Summary
Authentic leadership and occupational coping self-efficacy significantly influence nurses' caring behavior. Occupational coping self-efficacy fully mediates this relationship, highlighting its importance for enhancing patient care quality.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Nurses' caring behavior is vital for patient outcomes.
- Authentic leadership and occupational coping self-efficacy are linked to caring behavior.
- The mediating role of occupational coping self-efficacy among Chinese nurses requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between authentic leadership and nurses' caring behavior.
- To investigate the mediating role of occupational coping self-efficacy in this relationship among Chinese nurses.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 418 nurses from 5 Chinese hospitals.
- Online questionnaires assessed authentic leadership, occupational coping self-efficacy, and caring behavior.
- Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analyzed the mediating effects.
Main Results:
- Authentic leadership positively correlated with occupational coping self-efficacy and caring behavior.
- Occupational coping self-efficacy positively correlated with caring behavior.
- Occupational coping self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and caring behavior.
Conclusions:
- Both authentic leadership and occupational coping self-efficacy are crucial for nurses' caring behavior.
- Occupational coping self-efficacy plays a full mediating role, emphasizing its importance.
- Cross-sectional design limits causal inference; longitudinal studies are recommended.
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