The Role of Nurse Leaders in Promoting Psychological Safety and Innovation Within Healthcare Settings
Posted: Jun 15, 2024
Abstract
This research investigates the critical intersection of psychological safety, innovation, and nursing leadership within contemporary healthcare environments. While psychological safety has been studied in various organizational contexts, its specific application to nursing leadership and its direct relationship to healthcare innovation remains underexplored. This mixed-methods study employed a novel methodological approach combining quantitative surveys with qualitative phenomenological inquiry across twelve healthcare institutions representing diverse settings including academic medical centers, community hospitals, and specialized care facilities. The quantitative component utilized validated scales measuring psychological safety, innovation climate, and leadership behaviors among 847 nursing professionals, while the qualitative dimension involved in-depth interviews with 45 nurse leaders and frontline nursing staff. Our findings reveal that nurse leaders who actively cultivate psychological safety through specific behavioral patterns—including vulnerability demonstration, error normalization, and inclusive decision-making—create environments where innovative practices emerge organically. The study introduces the concept of 'psychological safety scaffolding' as a framework for understanding how nurse leaders build layered support systems that enable calculated risk-taking and creative problem-solving. Results demonstrate that units with high psychological safety scores showed 42
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