Associations between nurse managers’ leadership styles, team culture and competence planning in Norwegian municipal in‐patient acute care services: A cross‐sectional study

BACKGROUND: Increased complexity in the primary healthcare services has followed in the wake of health reforms and reveals the need for competence enhancement in the nursing services. Effective and visionary leadership, sufficiently qualified staff and cooperation among professionals are considered as key measures to safeguard quality in the services. AIMS: To identify which leadership styles characterise first‐line nurse managers in Norwegian municipal in‐patient acute care (MipAC) units and to investigate how first‐line nurse managers’ leadership styles are associated with team culture and documented nursing competence planning. METHODS: A cross‐sectional survey was distributed to all the first‐line nurse managers in Norwegian MipAC units (n = 229). Data were collected between March and June 2019. The response rate was 80.5% (n = 182). First‐line managers’ background information and data about their focus on team culture and competence planning were recorded. Furthermore, we noted organisational structural characteristics, and managers’ transformational (relational) leadership and transactional (task‐oriented) leadership styles. RESULTS: The managers exhibited a high degree of transformational leadership behaviour, which was significantly associated with team culture. No significant associations between leadership behaviours and documented competence planning were found. Notably, we found a significant correlation between transformational and transactional leadership styles, indicating that the managers adapt their leadership behaviours to actual requirements and situations. Organisational structural factors: the share of registered nurses (RNs) on the staff and having a position for a professional development nurse were positively associated with competence planning. CONCLUSION: A relational leadership style promotes team culture and both factors may empower the professional nursing environment. However, first‐line nurse managers need to acknowledge nursing competence planning as a central part of effective leadership. Having a professional development nurse position seems to complement leadership and ease the manager's responsibilities regarding team culture and competence planning.