Transformational Leadership for Nurses Motivation

Internal and External Motivation Factors

Categories	Extrinsic (external)	Intrinsic(internal)
Job Content Characteristics	Challenging nature of work Opportunity to provide high-quality care Level of authority Level of influence on job planning and related activities The significance of the work	Opportunity to apply certain skills or use creativity Perceived work effectiveness Perceived competence in work Fulfillment of expectations Setting and achieving goals
Work Environment	Good relations among the co-workers Opportunities for teamwork Positive reinforcement used by managers or team leaders Excellent job security Adequate training and development	Social acceptance Low environmental turbulence Perceived value as a team member Positive interdisciplinary collaborations Work-life balance
Leadership	Two-way communication Nurses participation in decision-making is highly encouraged Opportunities for employees to succeed Rewards for good performance Feedback on work and performance	Recognition of efforts Autonomy Preparedness to act in accordance with expectations Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses Sense of self-efficacy
Benefits	Fair compensation Financial incentives for performance or results Medical and life insurance available Paid vacation and sick leave Pensions for retired workers	The feeling of being appreciated Accepting rewards for performance Being able to focus on work and development Loyalty to the employer The feeling of being rewarded for good work

Motivation in nurses and excellent quality patient outcomes

As noted by Dunn (2015), motivation has a positive effect on patient health outcomes when nurses are willing to apply their knowledge and skills to work and achieve their full potential.

Employee characteristics and demotivators

Demotivators can lead to frustrated, inflexible, and lazy employees. Also, demotivators contribute to hostility, defensiveness, absenteeism, apathy, and high turnover (Dunn, 2015).

Organizational citizenship in the employees role in motivation

The term organizational citizenship is used to describe a positive relationship between the employee and the employer. When organizational citizenship is evident, nurses are willing to contribute to the organizations success and feel part of the organization (Dunn, 2015). Organizational citizenship can be developed using effective leadership and motivation strategies, such as reward and benefits schemes, job enrichment opportunities, and training. Organizational citizenship is critical to motivation theory. It can help promote a positive perception of work by the employee and contribute to workforce characteristics, such as retention, skill mix, loyalty, and more.

The key leadership styles

Dunn (2015) discusses three key leadership styles: transactional leadership, passive-avoidant leadership, and transformational leadership. In transactional leadership, the leader is perceived to be the major authority figure. The relationship between employees and the employer is perceived as a transaction, where the employer provides benefits and monetary compensation in return for employees behavior and performance (Spahr, 2016). On the contrary, passive-avoidant leaders steer from involvement in decision-making, instead of leaving the vast share of responsibility with the staff (Dunn, 2015). Lastly, transformational leadership is considered to be a useful leadership style that promotes healthy workforce characteristics. Transformational leaders rely on values and ideas to motivate workers to aspire to a shared goal (Dunn, 2015). They also provide employees with a chance to develop their skills and share ideas that could contribute to company success. When used in healthcare settings, a transformational leadership style can generate a motivated, productive, and coherent workforce, leading to improved patient outcomes.

The transformational leadership style considering motivation in the workplace

Transformational leadership improves employees motivation using shared goals, ideas, vision, and effective communication strategies. Empowerment is among the key goals behind transformational leadership (Dunn, 2015).

The difference between job satisfaction and motivation

Job satisfaction refers to the employees perception of various job characteristics, whereas motivation is an internal force that makes the employee more proactive and effective.