Assess the Impact of Nurse Leader Behavior on Student Empowerment and their Challenges Among Student Nurses at Selected Setting, Tiruvannamalai

Abstract

Nurse leader behavior significantly influences nursing students’ academic progress, professional growth, and overall empowerment. The present mixed-method investigation was undertaken to examine how nurse leader behavior affects student empowerment and to identify the difficulties experienced by B.Sc. Nursing IV-year students in a selected nursing institution at Tiruvannamalai. A concurrent triangulation design was employed, and 55 participants were chosen through convenience sampling. Data were gathered using structured questionnaires that evaluated perceptions of nurse leader behavior and levels of empowerment, while challenges were explored qualitatively through focus group discussions. Quantitative findings showed that 83% of students viewed nurse leader behavior as adequate, with professional skills emerging as the most prominent domain. Additionally, 76% of students demonstrated high empowerment levels. A strong positive correlation was identified between nurse leader behavior and empowerment (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), signifying that supportive and respectful leadership markedly enhances students’ engagement, self-confidence, and active participation. Qualitative analysis revealed challenges such as managing academics alongside extracurricular responsibilities, communication barriers, disparities between theory and clinical practice, examination-related stress, performance anxiety, and a need for more constructive faculty–student interactions. Significant associations were observed between demographic characteristics and both nurse leader behavior and empowerment. The study concludes that empowering leadership strategies substantially strengthen students’ competence, independence, and professional identity. Enhancing mentorship, refining clinical instruction, and addressing student-perceived challenges can further promote empowerment and improve educational outcomes.