Leadership Competencies of Head Nurses and Their Influence on Staff Nurse Performance and Perception in a Select Level 1 Hospital in Rizal: Basis for Leadership Competency Program Enhancement

This quantitative descriptive-correlational study examined the leadership competencies of head nurses and their influence on staff nurse performance in a selected Level 1 hospital in Rizal, Philippines. A total of 61 registered staff nurses participated using total enumeration, and data were collected through a validated researcher-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, ANOVA, and simple linear regression were used for data analysis. Head nurses demonstrated an excellent level of leadership competency, while staff nurses likewise exhibited excellent performance. Leadership competencies showed a very strong positive relationship with staff nurse performance and significantly predicted 77.1% of its variance. No significant differences in staff nurse performance were found across respondents' demographic characteristics. Although limited to a single hospital, the findings highlight the importance of competency-based leadership development, particularly in strengthening communication and feedback skills, to enhance nursing performance, improve patient care quality, and support leadership development in healthcare institutions.