Abstract
Nursing leadership is a crucial component in today’s healthcare organizations as nursesmake up the largest profession in healthcare overall. Nurse leaders have the ability to
affect the environment of the nurses’ workplace in both positive and negative ways, thus
impacting their Quality of Nurse Work Life (QNWL). QNWL is an indicator of nurse
satisfaction within their workplace, and the ability of the nurse to make meaningful
contributions to their home units and the organization. The purpose of this qualitative,
interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to describe what it meant to
experience nursing leadership from the perspective of Level III and IV bedside NICU
nurses. From the stories and examples provided by the nurses in this study, four group
experiential themes emerged from the data, leading to the proposal of three solution
recommendations. The proposed recommendations are (1) initiating daily nurse leader
rounding (2) developing a formal nurse leader orientation and training program, and (3)
incorporating a consistent, 360-degree feedback workplace unit. The study results aim to
help nurse leaders recognize experiences nurses have when faced with both positive and
negative nursing leadership. These recommendations will aid nurse leaders to anticipate
challenges bedside NICU nurses may face, while also providing leaders with a chance for
self-reflection. This will undoubtedly give nurse leaders the ability to support NICU
nurses to remain engaged and dedicated to their work, thus experiencing a higher QNWL.
Keywords: nursing leadership, quality of nurse work life, nurse leader rounding,
nurse environment, leader feedback environment, nurse leader training