Aim: This review was conducted to map leadership styles that positively impact patients, professionals and institutions.
Background: Leadership is a topic widely studied because it is a fundamental skill in establishing favourable work environments, in addition to enabling nurses to influence their team in the search for better results. Therefore, a synthesis of the various studies produced to date is essential for nurses, managers and researchers to understand the different styles of leadership that positively influence organizational results, so they can choose the style they deem most appropriate.
Evaluation: An integrative literature review retrieved articles from five databases, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The level of evidence and its quality were assessed using the criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute.
Key issues: Thirty-five studies were included, 18 of which reported the influence of leadership styles on patients (safety), nine on professionals (burnout) and eight on institutions (turnover and absenteeism).
Conclusion: Transformational leadership had positive results for patients, professionals, and institutions alike.
Implications for nursing management: The results showed the need for nurses to improve their leadership skills, especially in the transformational style, to achieve positive results.
Keywords: leadership; nursing; organizational efficiency; patient outcome assessment.
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.