Distinctive characteristics of female nurse leaders: a qualitative study.

Background and objective: In the modern era, many believe that biological factors play a significant role in shaping gender roles of men and women in society, attributing different characteristics to male and female leaders. It is noteworthy that these differences are often attributed to their biological sex. The ethics of care does not accept conventional ethical frameworks and emphasizes that the moral agent and emotions influence moral judgment. Considering the impact of emotions on judgment, this study explores the experiences of female educational supervisors regarding leadership challenges in hospitals in Kermanshah.

Materials and methods: This study adopted a qualitative approach with a pre-narrative strategy. Participants included 12 female educational supervisors in Imam reza hospital in Kermanshah with at least 5 years of service and 2 years of educational supervisory experience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The average duration of the interviews was 45 min.

Findings: The results of this study revealed that the main theme was the superior leadership characteristics of women. The sub-themes included personal characteristics and the ethics of care.

Conclusion: The awareness of educational supervisors about professional values is crucial for being prepared to resolve leadership conflicts that arise due to the ethics of care, based on ethical and professional pathways. Therefore, it is essential for female educational supervisors to anticipate strategies, become familiar with aspects of professional and ethical nursing values, and be encouraged to internalize these values and improve their professional performance to lead with the ethics of care grounded in these values.

Clinical trial registration number: Not applicable.