From leadership research to district action: Leadership Development Among Senior Nursing Students: A Mixed-Method Study

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. Proposed district actions are separate from the original authors’ findings and recommendations. Independent peer review of this guide is not asserted.

Read source Search paper agent CC BY 4.0

Evidence and transfer

Education-related source: verify which participants, institutions and outcomes were actually studied before district adoption. Source publication type: research-article. License and identity checks do not establish study quality or causality.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the source license:

Introduction: The development of leadership skills is an essential aspect of nursing education; however, their effective implementation and influence among senior nursing students have not been thoroughly examined. This research investigates leadership styles and the opportunities and challenges associated with leadership development. Materials and methods: This mixed-methods research employed a total enumerative sampling technique, a type of non-probability sampling, involving 200 of all third- and fourth-year B.Sc. Nursing students from the selected College of Nursing in Chennai. Quantitative data were gathered using the Blake and Mouton managerial grid leadership self-assessment tool, along with a Likert-scale rating to evaluate perceived opportunities and challenges in leadership development (Cronbach's α = 0.81 and 0.79, respectively). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 randomly selected participants. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and effect size calculations (Cohen’s d). Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s framework. Results: Team-oriented leadership was predominant (third year: 98%; fourth year: 93%). Statistically significant differences were observed between third- and fourth-year students in people-oriented (mean difference = 2.4, t = 2.51, p = 0.01, Cohen’s d = 0.35), task-oriented (mean difference = 2.64, t = 2.83, p = 0.004, Cohen’s d = 0.40), and global leadership scores (mean difference = 5.04, t = 2.71, p = 0.007, Cohen’s d = 0.38). Fourth-year students reported greater opportunities in clinical and simulation domains, while third-years highlighted mentorship support. Challenges included workload (64%), socio-cultural barriers (62%), and limited institutional support (60%). Qualitative findings reinforced the need for practical exposure, inclusive leadership roles, and faculty mentorship. Conclusions: Senior nursing students demonstrated predominantly participatory leadership styles, with significant differences across academic levels. While opportunities increased with seniority, persistent challenges limited leadership development. Structured leadership training, mentorship, and experiential learning are recommended to strengthen leadership readiness.

Study methods

The study adopted a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess and explore leadership styles, opportunities, and challenges among senior nursing students. The mixed-method design was chosen to obtain both measurable data and deeper insights into the students’ leadership experiences. The study was conducted at the selected College of Nursing, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, a reputed institution known for its high academic standards and extensive clinical exposure. The study population included senior B.Sc. Nursing students from the third and fourth years. A total enumerative sampling technique was used for the quantitative strand, which included 200 participants, 100 from the third year and 100 from the fourth year, who met the inclusion criteria. For the qualitative strand, 10 participants were randomly selected from the same population to capture diverse perspectives and experiences related to leadership development. Sample size was determined using the formula (ZSD/d)² based on the pilot study findings (40.5 ± 8). Hence, the required sample size was 96 per batch, which was rounded up to 100. Thus, the total sample size was 200. The inclusion criteria comprised students enrolled in the third and fourth years of the B.Sc. Nursing programs that were available and willing to participate after providing informed consent. Students who were absent during data collection or did not consent to participate were excluded.

Limitations

No passage was selected automatically. Inspect the complete source before adopting a practice.

A 90-day district inquiry

Days 1–15 · Appraise. Read the source methods, recruitment, comparator, outcomes and limitations. Record how the study setting differs from your district and which claim the design can support.
Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one recurring leadership practice described in the source. Map its participants, incentives and constraints to a district setting, then design a small reversible staff pilot with an accountable owner. Agree participation, privacy protections, baseline and stopping rules before starting.
Days 31–60 · Observe. Collect the pre-agreed measures, keep a log of implementation changes and invite confidential voluntary feedback. Preserve existing support for staff and learners.
Days 61–90 · Decide. Record implementation fidelity, staff review time, task quality and unintended burdens against a baseline. Use a comparison team where feasible and document alternative explanations before expanding. Make a dated decision to stop, revise or extend the inquiry.

Board decision brief

Present the local problem, source setting, evidence limits, intervention, responsible owner, total cost, measured changes and uncertainty. Separate staff perceptions, implementation measures and student learning outcomes.

Attribution and reuse

Saraswathy Kannappan; Sharadhaa Sathiyanarayanan; Vijayalakshmi K; Nesa Sathya Satchi; Vijayalakshmi Ramanujam. Leadership Development Among Senior Nursing Students: A Mixed-Method Study. Cureus (2026-05-11). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.108679

Prepared 2026-11-07. Source authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract and source passages are attributed extracts; this editorial guide is offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license.