Relationship between authentic leadership and nurses' intent to leave: The mediating role of work environment and burnout

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the mediating effects of work environment and burnout on the relationship between authentic leadership and the intention of nurses to leave their job. BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership can contribute to a good work environment. Burnout is a critical factor that affects nurses‧ intent to leave. The mediating roles of work environment and burnout on the relationship between authentic leadership and intent to leave is unclear. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used, and 946 nurses from three different levels of hospital (medical center, regional, and district), defined in terms of the number of beds and type of medical care provided, responded to four self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Work environment and burnout mediated the effect of authentic leadership on intent to leave among nurses. The mediating effects of burnout on authentic leadership was present both for junior (β = 0.073) and senior (β = 0.081) nurses. CONCLUSION: Authentic leadership can affect nurses‧ intent to leave but the work environment and burnout are important mediators of this influence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Administrators should adopt authentic leadership practices and make efforts to improve the work environment and decrease burnout in order to decrease nurses‧ intent to leave.