Development of Leadership Behaviors in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Service-Learning Approach

AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine leadership behaviors developed by nursing students and peers before and after a service-learning experience. BACKGROUND: Nurses have been called to fill growing needs in the health care setting, rendering care to vulnerable and diverse populations in a wide range of organizations. Leadership behaviors are therefore essential. METHOD: Baccalaureate students (N = 65) completed the Student Leadership Practices Inventory-Self at the beginning and end of the semester. The students also rated peers using the Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer and answered six questions about service-learning. RESULTS: Repeated measures of analysis of variance for pre- and posttests revealed that leadership behaviors improved (p < .0001). A significant correlation was found (p = .02) between the overall posttest scores for both instruments. CONCLUSION Integrating service-learning into a leadership course is an effective approach to the development of leadership behaviors.