Nicole Fronia, BQS Institute

In times of a shortage of skilled workers and demographic change, nursing is faced with a major challenge: Ensuring good quality of care despite overtime, lack of time and multitasking.

In this context, satisfied, healthy and motivated hospital employees are the prerequisite for good patient care. Research shows that employees' job satisfaction, commitment and intention to change are closely linked to management's leadership style, among other factors. But what constitutes good leadership and how can good leadership be measured?

Evaluation of employee surveys conducted by the Picker Institute show that 52% of nurses surveyed miss recognition of good performance by their supervisors. Among nurses who frequently consider changing employers, the figure is as high as 70%. Studies have already shown on several occasions that hospitals in which good working conditions have been created for nurses and good nursing care is regarded as an important quality indicator have lower staff turnover rates and also achieve better results in the medical and economic fields. This does not yet seem to have penetrated in Germany: just under half (48%) of nurses report that, from their point of view, nursing work is not considered important for the hospital. Of those who think about a change more frequently, it is even 4 out of 5 respondents who miss a corresponding appreciation from their superiors.

What is the benefit of good leadership? >> Eva Lampmann, BQS Institute asks Vera Lux, Member of the Board and Director of Nursing, University Hospital Cologne AöR and Ines Manegold, Managing Director, Katholische Kliniken Emscher-Lippe GmbH.