Leadership Styles in Health Crisis Management in Government Hospitals in Latakia City

Abstract

Health crises are inevitable events that are difficult to predict and require effective preparedness and management strategies. Hospitals play a central role in responding to such crises, highlighting the importance of effective leadership styles among nursing leaders. This study aimed to identify the prevailing leadership styles among head nurses in managing health crises in government hospitals in Latakia city from the perspective of nursing staff. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from a convenient sample of 500 nurses working at Latakia University Hospital and the National Hospital in Latakia. The Leadership Styles Scale consisting of 30 items covering three leadership styles (transformational, transactional, and inspirational leadership) was used to assess leadership behaviors during health crisis management. Results: The results showed that transformational leadership was the most prevalent leadership style among head nurses (Mean = 3.90 ± 0.640). Inspirational leadership demonstrated a supportive role in improving staff morale and facilitating rapid response to crisis situations. Transactional leadership showed comparatively lower mean scores, indicating its more limited contribution to crisis management, as it mainly focuses on routine organizational processes rather than adaptive decision-making during emergencies. Conclusion: The study recommends strengthening transformational leadership practices and developing specialized leadership training programs for head nurses to enhance crisis preparedness and response effectiveness in government hospitals.