The relationship between servant leadership behaviors, job satisfaction, and caregiver roles: A study on intensive care nurses

Aim: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between job satisfaction levels and attitudes toward caregiving roles of nurses working in intensive care units and the servant leadership behaviors demonstrated by nurse managers. Materials and Methods: Designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study, the research was carried out between September 2024 and June 2025 in the intensive care units of three different hospitals located in the province of Malatya. It was aimed to reach the entire population, and the sample consisted of 505 intensive care nurses who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Attitude Toward Caregiving Roles Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 22.0 software package, and the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean scores of nurses were found to be 3.64±0.46 for general job satisfaction, 4.14±0.25 for attitudes toward caregiving roles, and 145.68±13.07 for total servant leadership behaviors. A positive and statistically significant correlation was identified between servant leadership behaviors of nurse managers and nurses' overall job satisfaction (r=0.536; p<0.01). In addition, a weak but statistically significant positive relationship was found between servant leadership behaviors and attitudes toward caregiving roles (r=0.134; p<0.01). Regression analyses indicated that servant leadership behaviors significantly increased nurses' job satisfaction and positively predicted their attitudes toward caregiving roles. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that servant leadership behaviors exhibited by nurse managers strengthen job satisfaction among intensive care nurses and positively influence their attitudes toward caregiving roles. These results suggest that promoting a servant leadership approach in intensive care settings may contribute significantly to both employee satisfaction and the quality of nursing care. Keywords: Caregiver role, Job satisfaction, Nurse, servant leadership