The importance of the nurse leader’s proactivity and intellectual stimulation in the nursing team workload–learning relationship: A cross‐sectional study

Aims To test the role of the nursing team leader's (nurse leader) proactivity in attenuating the adverse effect of the nursing team's workload on the team learning and subsequent performance and to consider the role of intellectual stimulation by the nurse leader in this moderated mediation effect. Design A cross‐sectional design. Methods Data on 63 nursing teams were collected from various healthcare organizations by having 455 nursing team members and 63 nurse leaders complete validated questionnaires during 2016–2017. Results As was hypothesized, the nurse leader's proactivity significantly attenuated the adverse effect of nursing team workload on both nursing team learning and intellectual stimulation. Furthermore, intellectual stimulation significantly predicted nursing team learning. Overall, when the nurse leader's proactivity was low, there was a significant indirect effect of nursing team workload on nursing team performance mediated successively by intellectual stimulation and nursing team learning. When the nurse leader's proactivity was high, however, this indirect effect faded. Conclusions Proactive nurse leaders attenuate the adverse effect of nursing team workload on nursing team learning and subsequent performance. While less proactive nurse leaders demonstrate lower levels of intellectual stimulation under high nursing team workloads, the highly proactive nurse leaders sustain its level and thus maintain nursing team learning. Impact This study addresses the nursing team workload–learning relationship. It was found that the indirect negative effect of nursing team workload on team performance, which is mediated by intellectual stimulation, followed by team learning, is substantially reduced when the nurse leader's proactivity is high rather than low. 目的 测试护理组长(护士长)的主动性在减轻护理团队工作量对团队学习和后续绩效的不利影响方面的作用,并考虑护士长的智力刺激在这一适度中介效应中的作用。 设计 一项横断面设计。 方法 2016至2017年,从拥有455名护理团队成员和63名护士长的63个护理团队那里收集到了数据,他们完成了有效问卷调查。 结果 正如假设的那样,护士长的主动性显著减少了护理团队工作量对护理团队学习和智力刺激的不利影响。此外,智力刺激对护理团队学习有显著的预测作用。总的来说,当护士长的主动性较低时,在智力刺激和护理团队学习的先后影响下,护理团队工作量对护理团队绩效有显著的间接影响。但是,当护士长的主动性较高时,这种间接影响会逐渐消失。 结论 积极主动地护士长会减轻护理团队工作量对护理团队学习和后续绩效的影响。在护理团队高负荷工作量下,积极性较低的护士长表现出较低的智力刺激水平,而积极性高的护士长则维持其水平,保持护理团队学习状态。 影响 本研究探讨护理团队工作量——学习之间的关系。研究发现,当护士长的主动性较高时,护理团队工作量对团队绩效的间接不利影响显著降低,这种影响能立即被智力刺激所调节,其次是团队学习。