Assessing the Personality Traits of Mid- and Senior-Level Nurses

Introduction. Understanding personality tendencies,communication patterns, leadership competencies,and motivational styles among nurse leadersis essential for strengthening managerial effectivenessand improving patient care outcomes. Mappingthese traits provides insight into both the strengthsand the developmental needs of nursing leadershipwithin complex healthcare environments.Aim. To examine the Dominance–Influence–Steadiness–Conscientiousness (DISC) behavioral traits ofmiddle- and senior-level nurse managers working ina private healthcare institution.Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study wasconducted with 186 nurse leaders. Data on demographiccharacteristics, DISC behavioral tendencies,and key leadership competencies were collected usingan online questionnaire. Descriptive statisticalanalyses were performed using SPSS to evaluateleadership-related behavioral patterns.Results. Conscientiousness emerged as the mostprevalent dominant DISC trait (54.8%), particularlyamong Nurse-in-Charge roles (45.6%). Communicationcompetencies demonstrated strong factualgrounding (42.4% very high). System-aligned andsystematic decision-making approaches were alsoprominent (44.6% very high). Management competenciesshowed high performance in strategic planningand work discipline (44.08%). However, rapiddecision-making under pressure was identified as asignificant challenge, with 44.6% scoring very low inthis domain.Conclusion. The findings indicate that nurse leaderspossess strong conscientious, structured, and strategiccharacteristics that support effective leadership.Nonetheless, targeted development is needed inrapid decision-making under pressure and in self-motivation.Addressing these gaps through structuredleadership development programs may enhancemanagerial effectiveness and contribute to improvedpatient care and organisational outcomes.