The satisfaction of nurses with the leadership of their supervisors exerts a positive association with their job satisfaction. This study identified factors associated with nurse satisfaction with supervisor leadership and developed a model of causal relationships based on social exchange theory. A satisfaction scale was developed to measure how nurses felt about the leadership of their supervisor, which also assessed the validity and reliability using a cross-sectional descriptive survey questionnaire administered to nurses working in a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. A total of 607 valid questionnaires were returned. Structural equation modeling was used to test the theoretical model of this study. Only questions that were scored above 3 were included in the scale. A total of 30 questions were placed under seven constructs of this scale upon the assessment of content validity. The results indicate that satisfaction with shift schedules, educational training, and internal communication exerted direct, significant, and positive associations with satisfaction with the supervisor leadership. Furthermore, satisfaction with policies and guidelines exerted direct, significant, and positive associations with satisfaction with internal communication and exerted indirect associations with satisfaction with supervisor leadership through internal communication. In particular, satisfaction with shift schedules and internal communication were most significantly associated with satisfaction with supervisor leadership. The results of this study offer a reference for hospital management and emphasize focusing on the arrangement of nurse shifts in all departments. The establishment of diverse communication channels can enhance the degree of nurse satisfaction with supervisor leadership.
Keywords: leadership; nurse; satisfaction; structural equation modeling; supervisor.