Leadership Behaviour as Perceived by Nursing Clinical Teachers and Their Students at College of Nursing, King Saud University

Abstract

King Saud University is entering a period of change and challenge that will require strong leadership to be navigated successfully. In such context, examination of leadership assessment is essential for the development of institution. Specifically, for nursing education, clinical teaching is an integral part with a significant role. Based on it, examination of clinical teachers' leadership behaviour is a pivotal element to increase the quality of clinical teaching. Leadership defines as a process of uses interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish specific goals. Transformational and transactional was one of the most recent and popular nursing leadership theories developed by James McGregor Burns (1978). This study aimed to assess the clinical teacher leadership behaviours as perceived by themselves and by their students at College of Nursing. In addition, relationship between the studied groups also addressed. Descriptive comparative design was selected to be the framework for this study. The study conducted on 28 clinical teachers represent all academic nursing education departments and 215 nursing students from level 4th – level 8th of academic semesters from those meetings the inclusion criteria and were available during data collection period. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and Avolio (2005) was used to measure leadership behaviour in term of “self” (clinical teacher) and “observer” (nursing student). The results of the study revealed statistically significance difference between leadership behaviour perception of clinical teacher and their students. Based on it, the researcher recommended regular feedback for clinical teacher. In addition, training and development in leadership, specifically, for the transformational leadership is essential in increasing quality of clinical teaching in college.