Leadership Development in Undergraduate Nursing Students: Cross-National Study 6 European Countries
Authors: Harnett, G. et al.
Conference: 8th Sigma European Regional Conference
Dates: 24-26 June 2026
Place of Publication: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/events/74826/submissions/1178499/abstract-book-view
Abstract:Aims: To examine and compare self-perceived nursing student leadership behaviours among undergraduate nursing students from six European countries, identifying contextual factors influencing leadership development.
Background: Strategies supporting nursing student leadership are transformative for enhancing their professional wellbeing and engagement. Leadership competence is a key requirement for promoting quality in the nursing profession and priority must be given to supporting nursing students to develop this vital competence for practice. Although global frameworks promote leadership as a core professional skill, international evidence remains limited on how these competencies evolve during pre-registration education and how they differ between educational and cultural contexts. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 1195 nursing students from Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The lead researchers from each country received ethical approval to implement this online survey with nursing students. Participants completed the Self-Assessment Leadership Instrument, validated in each country. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyse differences across the five Self-Assessment Leadership Instrument dimensions: Strategic Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Impact & Influence, Teamwork Skills, and overall Leadership Competence.
Results: Significant cross-country differences emerged, particularly in Emotional Intelligence (η² = 0.105, p < .001) and Teamwork Skills (η² = 0.043, p < .001), with Ireland, Slovakia, and the UK scoring higher than Italy and Portugal. Strategic Thinking and the Self-Assessment Leadership Instrument Total showed moderate divergence, whereas Impact & Influence displayed consistency across countries. Sociodemographic variables such as age and year of study also varied significantly.
Conclusions: Findings highlight substantial variation in leadership competence among European nursing students, reflecting the influence of national educational structures and learning environments. These results support the design of culturally responsive, evidence-based strategies to enhance leadership capacity within undergraduate nursing education.
Keywords: nursing students; leadership development; emotional intelligence; teamwork; cross-national study; nursing education; professional competence; Europe; Self-Assessment Leadership Instrument.
Source: Manual