Clinical instructors’ leadership styles and their relationship with clinical belongingness among nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Clinical belongingness is one of the most important needs of nursing students for optimal performance in learning environments and, therefore, is of particular importance in clinical education. The present study investigated the relationship between clinical instructors' leadership styles and clinical belongingness among undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and February 2025 among undergraduate nursing students from the fourth to eighth semesters at two nursing schools affiliated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A total of 274 eligible students were invited to participate. After excluding 21 incomplete questionnaires, data from 253 students were analyzed. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-6 S), and the Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses, with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The mean total score of clinical belongingness in students was 100.04 ± 20.47, which is moderate. From their perspective, the highest and lowest mean scores of clinical instructors' leadership styles were for transactional (3.86/average per item) and transformational (1.91/average per item), respectively. Also, there was a statistically significant relationship between transformational and transactional leadership styles and clinical belongingness, and these two styles were associated with 18% of the variance in students' clinical belongingness. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed a positive relationship between clinical instructors' leadership styles and clinical belongingness among nursing students. Therefore, it is recommended to provide training opportunities that familiarize clinical instructors with different leadership styles and encourage the use of leadership approaches that are associated with higher levels of clinical belongingness among nursing students.