Effect of authoritative leadership on innovation performance of specialist nurses: the chain mediation effect of self-efficacy and training transfer

Background To explore the chain-mediated roles of self-efficacy and training transfer between empowering leadership and innovative performance of specialized nurses, with a view to providing suggestions and guidance for nursing managers to improve innovative performance of specialized nurses and to promote the development of high quality of specialized nurses. Methods Employing a cross - sectional research approach, 330 specialist nurses from four Class - A tertiary hospitals in Jinan were recruited via convenience sampling from June to November 2023 as the research subjects. The investigation was implemented using a General Information Questionnaire, an Empowering Leadership Questionnaire, a Self - Efficacy Scale, a Training Transfer Scale, and an Innovation Performance Scale. A structural equation model for the mediating effect was constructed, and the mediating effect was examined using the Bootstrap method. Results A total of 325 specialized nurses were ultimately included in the survey. The total scores of the Empowering Leadership Questionnaire, Self - Efficacy Scale, Training Transfer Scale, and Innovation Performance Scale for specialist nurses were (51.38±7.93), (29.74±5.81), (52.9±6.35) and (47.17±8.95) points respectively, all of which were at a moderately high level. The mediating effect analysis revealed that empowering leadership had a significant direct effect on innovation performance. The effect size was 0.120, accounting for 26.97% of the total effect. Self - efficacy, training transfer and the chain mediating effect of the two factors indirectly influenced innovation performance. The mediating effect sizes were 0.160, 0.116 and 0.049 respectively, accounting for 35.96%, 26.07%and 11.01% of the total effect. Conclusion The innovation performance of specialized nurses requires improvement. Empowering leadership not only directly influences innovation performance but also indirectly affects it through the mediating roles of training transfer and self-efficacy, as well as the chain mediating effect between training transfer and self - efficacy. Nursing administrators should emphasize the management strategy of empowerment, exploring approaches to enhance training transfer and self-efficacy within the development programs for specialized nurses, thereby further elevating their levels of innovation performance.