Effects of digital leadership on the attitudes of manager nurses toward AI: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundDigital technologies are reshaping leadership in nursing, making it essential to understand how digital leadership relates to attitudes toward artificial intelligence in nursing.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to determine the effects of the digital leadership characteristics of manager nurses on their general attitudes toward artificial intelligence.MethodsThis study was conducted with a cross-sectional design, and its results are reported using the STROBE checklist. The population of the study included manager nurses who were working at a University Hospital in Eastern Türkiye (N = 133). Data were collected using a "Personal Information Form", the "Digital Leadership Scale", and the "General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale". Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data, and comparisons in independent groups were made using the "Mann-Whitney U" test for two groups and the "Kruskal-Wallis" test for more than two groups. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. A simple linear regression analysis was performed with the Enter model to determine the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine whether the scales used were suitable for the sample of manager nurses. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the scales used were appropriate for use in the sample.ResultsThe participants of the study had moderate levels of digital leadership and above-moderate levels of positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence. It was found that the digital leadership characteristics of the participants were significantly effective on their general attitudes toward artificial intelligence.ConclusionsThe usage of artificial intelligence and digital technologies by manager nurses during the provision of healthcare services will result in their adoption of a position as role models and good leaders for their nurse colleagues, improve their capacity to organize routine practices and treatment processes at the clinic, and increase the quality of nursing care by helping nurses make better decisions. It is thought that the use of some practices in the workplace with digital transformations, such as artificial intelligence, will have positive effects on employee well-being, job satisfaction, and workforce adaptation, including the reduction of workload and the prevention of loss of workforce and time.