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. 2023 Mar 28;ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print).
doi: 10.1108/LHS-08-2022-0091.

An antidote to what's ailing healthcare workers: a new (old) way of relational leadership

Brian Park  1 , Anaïs Tuepker  2 , Cirila Estela Vasquez Guzman  3 , Samuel Edwards  4 , Elaine Waller Uchison  1 , Cynthia Taylor  1 , M Patrice Eiff  1
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Free article

An antidote to what's ailing healthcare workers: a new (old) way of relational leadership

Brian Park et al. Leadersh Health Serv (Bradf Engl). .
Free article

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study's mixed-methods evaluation was to examine the ways in which a relational leadership development intervention enhanced participants' abilities to apply relationship-oriented skills on their teams.

Design/methodology/approach: The authors evaluated five program cohorts from 2018-2021, involving 127 interprofessional participants. The study's convergent mixed-method approach analyzed post-course surveys for descriptive statistics and interpreted six-month post-course interviews using qualitative conventional content analysis.

Findings: All intervention features were rated as at least moderately impactful by at least 83% of participants. The sense of community, as well as psychological safety and trust created, were rated as impactful features of the course by at least 94% of participants. At six months post-intervention, participants identified benefits of greater self-awareness, deeper understanding of others and increased confidence in supporting others, building relationships and making positive changes on their teams.

Originality/value: Relational leadership interventions may support participant skills for building connections, supporting others and optimizing teamwork. The high rate of skill application at six months post-course suggests that relational leadership development can be effective and sustainable in healthcare. As the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic crises continue to impact the psychological well-being of healthcare colleagues, relational leadership holds promise to address employee burnout, turnover and isolation on interprofessional care teams.

Keywords: Health leadership initiatives; Leadership; Organizational culture; Organizational performance; Program evaluation; Transformational leadership.

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