Leader Support on Innovation and Competence among Nurses in a Government Hospital

This study aimed to determine the relationship between leader support for innovation and innovation competence among nurses in a government hospital. Using a quantitative descriptive–correlational design, the study assessed the level of leader support for innovation and innovation competence and examined their relationship with selected nurse profile characteristics. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires administered to nurses across various clinical units. Descriptive statistics were used to determine variable levels, while chi-square test, Cramer’s V, and Pearson correlation were applied to determine relationships among variables. Findings revealed that nurses perceived leader support for innovation at a very high level, while innovation competence was rated high. Significant relationships were identified between most profile variables and both leader support and innovation competence, except unit or department assignment. A strong positive relationship was also found between leader support and innovation competence. The study concludes that supportive leadership plays a crucial role in strengthening nurses’ innovation competence. A Leader Support for Innovation and Innovation Competence Enhancement Plan is proposed to sustain innovation-focused leadership practice.

Descriptive–Correlational Design; Innovation Competence

1. Abd El Muksoud, N. O. (2022). Leadership behaviors and innovative work behaviours among nurses. Zagazig Nursing Journal, 18(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Al-Dossary, R. (2021). The role of transformational leadership in enhancing nurses’ innovative behavior: A systematic review. Nursing Open, 8(5), 2341–2351. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.837 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Almarwani, A. M., & Alzahrani, N. S. (2023). Factors affecting the development of clinical nurses’ competency: A systematic review. Nurse Education in Practice, 73, 103826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103826 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Alshaabani, A., Naz, F., Magda, R., & Rudnák, I. (2023). Social exchange theory and employee creativity: The mediating role of organizational commitment and trust. Sustainability, 15(4), 3318. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043318 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Amabile, T. M. (2020). Creativity, artificial intelligence, and a world of surprises. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(6), 1186–1190. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620927478 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Anderson, N., Potočnik, K., & Zhou, J. (2021). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A state-of-the-science review. Journal of Management, 47(3), 272–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320965543 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Asif, M., Qing, M., Hwang, J., & Shi, H. (2021). Ethical leadership, trust, and creativity: The mediated mechanism and cultural implication. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010445 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Atasoy, I., Özdemir, S. Ç., & Evli, M. (2023). Relationship between individual innovativeness and 21st century skills of nursing and midwifery students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 126, 105830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105830 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Bektaş, G., Ünal, B. Ö., & Narlı, M. (2025). The effect of transformational leadership on nurses’ innovative behaviors: The mediating effect of psychological empowerment. BMC Nursing, 24, Article 684. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03467-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Boamah, S. A., Spence Laschinger, H. K., Wong, C., & Clarke, S. (2023). Transformational leadership and its impact on nurses’ job satisfaction, burnout, and patient safety outcomes: A review of recent evidence. Journal of Nursing Management, 31(2), 217–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13765 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Chen, J., Zhang, Q., Fong, P., & Meng, L. (2025). Investigating nurses’ competencies for development of “Internet + nursing service”: A cross-sectional study. Nursing Open, 12(7), e70275. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., & Micaroni, S. P. M. (2021). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 115, 103842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103842 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. El-Gazar, H. E., Baghdadi, N. A., Mohammed, S., & Zoromba, M. A. (2024). Sparking nurses’ creativity: The roles of ambidextrous leadership and psychological safety. BMC Nursing, 23, Article 777. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02277-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Gao, L., Lu, Q., Hou, X., Ou, J., & Wang, M. (2022). Effectiveness of a nursing innovation workshop at enhancing nurses’ innovation abilities: A quasi-experimental study. Nursing Open, 9(1), 418–427. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. This is the version indexed in major databases; your current Gao entry appears inaccurate and should be replaced. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Guo, Y., Fan, W., Dong, X., Yang, C., Wang, M., Gao, H., Lv, P., & Ma, K. (2024). The impact of nursing heads leadership on research innovation behavior of junior nurses with master’s degree: The mediation of perceived barriers and the moderation of motivation. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 16, 583–593. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S479562 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Hammond, M. M., Neff, N. L., Farr, J. L., Schwall, A. R., & Zhao, X. (2023). Predictors of individual-level innovation at work: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 17(2), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000517 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Heydari, N., Torabizadeh, C., Rakhshan, M., & Salimi, G. (2023). Individual innovation from the perspective of nursing students: A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 22, Article 163. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01311-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Lee, S. E., & Seo, J. K. (2024). Effects of nurse managers’ inclusive leadership on nurses’ psychological safety and innovative work behavior: The moderating role of collectivism. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 56(4), 554–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12965 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Liu, L., Liu, M., Lv, Z., Ma, F. Y., Mao, Y., & Liu, Y. (2024). The mediating and moderating role of nursing information competence between nurses’ creative self-efficacy and innovation behavior in a specialized oncology hospital. BMC Nursing, 23, Article 760. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02360-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Mahmoud, A. B., Reisel, W. D., & Fuxman, L. (2023). Leader support, nurse engagement, and innovative work behavior: A global perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1128902. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1128902 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Ndirangu-Mugo, E. (2024). Psychological safety. Nurse Leader, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2024.10.012 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Newman, A., Tse, H. H. M., Schwarz, G., & Nielsen, I. (2022). The effects of supportive leadership on employees’ innovative behavior: A meta-analytic review. Human Resource Management Review, 32(1), 100823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100823 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Park, C. E., Kang, J., Myung, S. H., Yoo, H. S., & Cho, I. Y. (2025). Factors influencing future core nursing competency: Focusing on King’s Dynamic Interaction System Model in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. Child Health Nursing Research, 31(2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.4094/chnr.2025.006 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Rani, A., & Muthu, V. (2024). Developing innovation competence among nurses through transformational leadership and training interventions. Nurse Education in Practice, 78, 103748. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Urdaneta-Peña, K., Salminen, L., & Tynjälä, P. (2018). Conceptualizing nurses’ innovation competence: A framework for contemporary practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(6), 664–671. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12420 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Yan, D., Li, M., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2022). A qualitative study of facilitators and barriers to nurses’ innovation at work. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(7), 3449–3456. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13811 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Zhang, M., Chen, H., Wang, N., Li, Y., & Liu, Y. (2022). Does transformational leadership and psychological empowerment improve nurses’ innovative behaviour during COVID-19 outbreak? A cross-sectional study. Journal of Nursing Management, 30, 4116–4125. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Knowledge and Attitude of Undergraduate Nursing Students towards Organ Donation
• Cold Hip Bath Therapy for Labor Pain Management: A Review of Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Women's Health
• Work Settings Utilizing the S.C.O.R.E Model on the Psychological Empowerment of Hospital Nurses in Cebu City
• An Assessment on the Quality of Life of PLHIV Residents in Digos City Barangays: Basis for Health Teaching Program
• Work-Related Stress and Its Psychodermatological Impact on Nursing Professionals