Volume 19, Issue 1 (2026)                   J Med Edu Dev 2026, 19(1): 66-73 | Back to browse issues page

Ethics code: IR.ZUMS.REC.1403.362


XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Namdari S, Mollaei F, Kamali M, Mousavi S K. The relationship between clinical instructors’ leadership styles and nursing students’ self-efficacy. , J Med Edu Dev. 2026; 19 (1) :66-73
URL: http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2602-en.html
1- Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Behbahan, Iran, PhD student of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
2- 2. Department of Nursing, Behshahr Faculty of Nursing, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Behshahr, Iran , kazemmoosavi69@gmail.com
3- Department of Nursing, Abhar School of Nursing, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Abstract:   (1040 Views)

Background & Objective: In clinical nursing education, students' attainment of self-efficacy represents the pinnacle of professional competence. This study aimed to determine the relationship between clinical instructors' leadership styles and the self-efficacy of undergraduate nursing students.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted from January to February 2025, 274 undergraduate nursing students who had completed at least two semesters of clinical training were selected via convenience sampling. Data collection tools included demographic questionnaires, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale (NPSES), completed through self-report. Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression) in SPSS software version 26, with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results: From the students' perspective, the most and least frequently used leadership styles by clinical instructors were transactional and laissez-faire, respectively. The students' mean total self-efficacy score was 56.67 ± 18.17. Data analysis revealed a significant relationship between both transformational and transactional leadership styles and self-efficacy. Together, these two styles explained 34.1% of the variance in students' self-efficacy.

Conclusion: The findings indicate a significant relationship between clinical instructors' leadership styles and nursing students' self-efficacy. Given the central importance of self-efficacy in training competent nurses, it is suggested that targeted workshops be held to enhance clinical instructors' awareness of various leadership styles and their distinct impacts on student self-efficacy, thereby encouraging the adoption of styles that foster its development.

Full-Text [PDF 465 kb]   (571 Downloads) |   |   Full-Text (HTML)  (191 Views)  
Editorial: Original Research | Subject: Medical Education
Received: 2025/09/22 | Accepted: 2025/12/2 | Published: 2026/01/1

References
1. Negm L, Mersal F, Fawzy M, Rajennal A, Alanazi R, Alanazi L. Challenges of nursing students during clinical training: a nursing perspective. AIMS Public Health. 2024;11(2):379-98. [DOI:10.3934/publichealth.2024019] [PMID] [PMCID]
2. Carless-Kane S, Nowell L. Nursing students learning transfer from classroom to clinical practice: an integrative review. Nurse Educ Pract. 2023;71:103731. [DOI:10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103731]
3. Eghbali T, Sarkoohi Jabalbarezi Z, Nouhi E. Factors affecting clinical education standards in nursing in Iran: a systematic review. Strides Dev Med Educ. 2024;21(1):70-80. [DOI:10.22062/sdme.2024.199191.1307]
4. Asadi M, Noorian S, Motefakker S, Heydari F, Shahsavari N, Senmar M. The state of clinical education and factors affecting effective clinical education: the point of view of nursing and midwifery students. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23(1):967. [DOI:10.1186/s12909-023-04957-z] [PMID] [PMCID]
5. Soroush A, Andaieshgar B, Vahdat A, Khatony A. The characteristics of an effective clinical instructor from the perspective of nursing students: a qualitative descriptive study in Iran. BMC Nurs. 2021;20:101. [DOI:10.1186/s12912-021-00556-9] [PMID] [PMCID]
6. Coventry TH, Russell KP. The clinical nurse educator as a congruent leader: a mixed method study. J Nurs Educ Pract. 2021;11(1):8-18. [DOI:10.5430/jnep.v11n1p8]
7. Maglione JL, Neville K. Servant leadership and spirituality among undergraduate and graduate nursing students. J Relig Health. 2021;60(6):4435-50. [DOI:10.1007/s10943-021-01311-9] [PMID] [PMCID]
8. Garzón-Lasso F, Serrano-Malebrán J, Arenas-Arango S, Molina C. Full range leadership style and its effect on effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and extra effort: an empirical study. Front Psychol. 2024;15:1380935. [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1380935] [PMID] [PMCID]
9. Thanh NH, Quang NV. Transformational, transactional, laissez-faire leadership styles and employee engagement: evidence from Vietnam's public sector. SAGE Open. 2022;12(2):21582440221094606. [DOI:10.1177/21582440221094606]
10. Skar AM, Braathu N, Peters N, Bækkelund H, Endsjø M, Babaii A, et al. A stepped-wedge randomized trial investigating the effect of the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) intervention on implementation and transformational leadership, and implementation climate. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22(1):298. [DOI:10.1186/s12913-022-07539-9] [PMID]
11. Fallatah F, Laschinger HK, Read EA. The effects of authentic leadership, organizational identification, and occupational coping self-efficacy on new graduate nurses' job turnover intentions in Canada. Nurs Outlook. 2017;65(2):172-83. [DOI:10.1016/j.outlook.2016.11.020] [PMID]
12. Jaworski M, Panczyk M, Leńczuk-Gruba A, Nowacka A, Gotlib J. The trend of authentic leadership skills in nursing education: the key role of perfectionism and self-efficacy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):1989. [DOI:10.3390/ijerph19041989] [PMID] [PMCID]
13. Soleimani F, Aghal M, Partash N, Aliagha Sarighamish A, Maghsoodi E. The effect of mindfulness-based education on nursing students' clinical self-efficacy. J Clin Nurs Midwifery. 2021;9(4):823-31.
14. Alosaimi D. Learning self-efficacy as predictor of nursing students' performance of clinical skills. Kuram Uygul Egit Bilim. 2021;21(3):120-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.12738/jestp.2021.3.009
15. Alhowaymel FM, Saleh MSM, Taref NN, Abd-Elhamid ZN, Abaoud AF, Alenezi A, et al. Empowering future nurses: enhancing self-efficacy, satisfaction, and academic achievement through talent management educational intervention. BMC Nurs. 2025;24(1):875. [DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-03512-z] [PMID] [PMCID]
16. Bass BM, Avolio BJ. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: MLQ; manual and sampler set. 3rd ed. Menlo Park: Mind Garden; 2004.
17. Bagheri R, Sohrabi Z. Psychometric properties of Persian version of the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ). Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:1-9. [DOI:10.47176/mjiri.29.1]
18. Caruso R, Pittella F, Zaghini F, Fida R, Sili A. Development and validation of the Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale. Int Nurs Rev. 2016;63(3):455-64. [DOI:10.1111/inr.12291] [PMID]
19. Lazemi Z, Barkhordari-Sharifabad M. Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the "Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale". BMC Nurs. 2023;22:210. [DOI:10.1186/s12912-023-01182-3] [PMID] [PMCID]
20. Kiani F, Boostanbakhsh A, Vadaei S, Beigi Rizi R, Hoseinpour M, Farahmandmoghadam N, et al. A cross-sectional study of nurses' perspectives on the leadership styles of nursing managers. Int J Epidemiol Health Sci. 2025;6(1):e86. [DOI:10.51757/IJEHS.6.2025.718627]
21. Sadeghi A, Samsamy T, Bikmoradi A, Moghimbeigi A. Head nurses' leadership styles and leadership outcomes. Avicenna J Nurs Midwifery Care. 2016;24(1):39-49. [DOI:10.20286/nmj-24016]
22. Al-Thawabiya A, Singh K, Al-Lenjawi BA, Alomari A. Leadership styles and transformational leadership skills among nurse leaders in Qatar, a cross-sectional study. Nurs Open. 2023;10(6):3440-6. [DOI:10.1002/nop2.1636] [PMID]
23. Suliman M, Aljezawi M, Almansi S, Musa A, Alazam M, Ta'an WF. Effect of nurse managers' leadership styles on predicted nurse turnover. Nurs Manag (Harrow). 2020;27(5):20-5. https://doi.org/10.7748/nm.2020.e1928 [DOI:10.7748/nm.2020.e1956]
24. den Breejen-de Hooge LE, van Os-Medendorp H, Hafsteinsdóttir TB. Is leadership of nurses associated with nurse-reported quality of care? A cross-sectional survey. J Res Nurs. 2021;26(1-2):118-32. [DOI:10.1177/1744987120976176] [PMID] [PMCID]
25. Asiri AM, Mahran SM, Elseesy NA. A study of staff nurses' perceptions of nursing leadership styles and work engagement levels in Saudi general hospitals. Int J Adv Appl Sci. 2023;10(1):55-61. [DOI:10.21833/ijaas.2023.01.008]
26. Vatnøy TK, Dale B, Sundlisæter Skinner M, Karlsen TI. Associations between nurse managers' leadership styles, team culture and competence planning in Norwegian municipal in-patient acute care services: a cross-sectional study. Scand J Caring Sci. 2022;36(2):482-92. [DOI:10.1111/scs.13064] [PMID] [PMCID]
27. Mohamed S, Nabway Z, Saleh M. The correlation between first-line nurse managers' leadership style and staff nurses' structural empowerment and work engagement. Alex Sci Nurs J. 2023;25(3):128-42. [DOI:10.21608/asalexu.2023.318361]
28. Momeni M, Asadi M, Shadin H, Noorian S, Senmar M. Self-efficacy of clinical performance in nursing students and its relationship with the motivation of field choice and clinical education status. BMC Med Educ. 2025;25(1):767. [DOI:10.1186/s12909-025-07372-8] [PMID] [PMCID]
29. Salimi HR, Pourebrahimi M, Hoseinabadi-Farahani MJ. Clinical self-efficacy, dimensions and related factors among nursing students. Iran J Psychiatr Nurs. 2017;5(5):1-7. [DOI:10.21859/ijpn-05021]
30. Inanlou M, Baha R, Seyedfatemi N, Fadaee Aghdam N, Basirinezhad M. Self-efficacy and the related demographic characteristics in nursing students. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2020;33(127):45-57. [DOI:10.52547/ijn.33.127.45]
31. Kamali M, Hasanvand S, Kordestani-Moghadam P, et al. Impact of dyadic practice on the clinical self-efficacy and empathy of nursing students. BMC Nurs. 2023;22:8. [DOI:10.1186/s12912-022-01171-y] [PMID] [PMCID]
32. Motahari M, Rahimibashar M, Ghasemnegad S. The relationship between clinical self-efficacy and academic achievement motivation in nursing students. Res Med Educ. 2020;12(2):10-20. [DOI:10.29252/rme.12.2.10]
33. Ozsaker E, Aykut Z, Doruker NC, Koze BS, Gecit S. The relationship between the academic self-efficacy and perceived stressors among nursing students in clinical settings: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nurs. 2025;24:200. [DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-02836-0] [PMID] [PMCID]
34. Albaqawi H, Alamri M, Al-Dossary R, Al Hosis K, Alharbi J, Aljohani M, et al. Exploring the impact of self-efficacy, social support and learning environment on clinical performance anxiety in student nurses. Sci Rep. 2025;15:8663. [DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-93400-y] [PMID] [PMCID]
35. Agarwal D, Kushwaha GS, Anand B, Sharma K. A study on impact of self efficacy on leadership styles. Int J Agric Ext Soc Dev. 2024;7(8):534-8. [DOI:10.33545/26180723.2024.v7.i8h.977]
36. Sohrabi Z, Kheirkhah M, Sahebzad ES, Rasoulighasemlouei S, Khavandi S. Correlation between students' self-efficacy and teachers' educational leadership style in Iranian midwifery students. Glob J Health Sci. 2015;8(7):260-5. [DOI:10.5539/gjhs.v8n7p260] [PMID]
37. Ramezanpoor E, Amiri F, Rashidi N. Relationship between leadership style of operating room head nurses and job self-efficacy of operating room technologists. J Health Promot Manag. 2020;9(1):51-8.
38. Alluhaybi A, Usher K, Durkin J, Wilson A. Clinical nurse managers' leadership styles and staff nurses' work engagement in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2024;19(3):e0296082. [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0296082] [PMID] [PMCID]

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2026 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Journal of Medical Education Development | All rights reserved.