Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41884680›Full record

ReviewJournal of healthcare leadership2026

The Role of Transformational Leadership in Improving Nurse Retention and Well-Being in Non-Western Countries: A Systematic Review.

Reni Afriana, Maria Komariah, Ati Surya Mediawati, Muhammad Afiif Aziz

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of healthcare leadership, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Reni AfrianaMaster Study Program, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia.
Maria KomariahDepartment of Fundamental Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia.
Ati Surya MediawatiDepartment of Fundamental Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0002-3071-902X
Muhammad Afiif AzizMaster Study Program, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: High nursing turnover threatens global healthcare stability. Transformational leadership, defined by inspiring a shared vision and intellectual stimulation, is a potential remedy, yet evidence remains Western-centric. A knowledge gap exists regarding its impact amidst the distinct cultural norms and resource constraints of non-Western systems. This review synthesizes evidence on transformational leadership's association with nurse retention and well-being in these settings. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and a PROSPERO protocol (CRD420251108875), we searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus (January 2015-June 2025). We included quantitative studies examining transformational leadership's impact on nurse well-being or retention in hospitals. Quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools. Data were analyzed using narrative synthesis due to methodological heterogeneity. Results: Thirteen quantitative studies were synthesized. Results revealed robust positive correlations between transformational leadership and well-being, specifically job satisfaction (r = 0.48-0.76) and work engagement (r = 0.65). This leadership style significantly predicted retention, explaining up to 71% of turnover intention variance. However, findings must be viewed with caution as most studies raised "some concerns" regarding risk of bias. Conclusion: This review provides associative evidence linking transformational leadership to enhanced nurse well-being and workforce sustainability in non-Western systems. Its value lies in direct influence and fostering healthier work environments. Healthcare organizations should invest in developing these leadership capabilities to strengthen the nursing workforce and ensure quality patient care.

Indexed as

job satisfactionnurse retentionnurse well-beingnursing managementpatient safetyquality of caresystematic reviewtransformational leadership

Identifiers

PMID41884680
PMCPMC13012534

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.