The Leadership Styles Employed by Nurse Managers and The Levels of Burnout Experienced by Nurses Working in Tertiary Hospitals in Medina, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Nurse burnout remains a significant challenge in tertiary healthcare settings, where high patient acuity and sustained workload demands place considerable pressure on nursing staff. Leadership style has been identified as an important organizational factor influencing nurses’ psychological well-being; however, evidence from tertiary hospitals in Medina, Saudi Arabia remains limited. This paper examined the relationship between nurse managers’ leadership styles and burnout among nurses working in tertiary hospitals in Medina, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative design incorporating a descriptive cross-sectional approach and a quasi-experimental component was employed. Data were collected from 279 nurses using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and pre-post comparisons were conducted. Nurses reported moderate levels of burnout, with emotional exhaustion being the most prominent dimension. Transformational leadership was negatively associated with burnout, whereas laissez-faire leadership showed a strong positive association. Transactional leadership demonstrated weaker and non-significant associations. Following a six-week leadership-focused intervention, reductions in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed. These findings suggest that leadership style is meaningfully associated with nurse burnout in tertiary hospital settings and highlight the potential value of leadership development initiatives.