The Mediating Role of Nurses' Organizational Innovation Climate on the Relationship Between Head Nurses' Research-Innovation Leadership and Nurses' Innovation Behavior in China: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Objective: To explore the mediating role of nurses' organizational innovation climate in the relationship between head nurses' research-innovation leadership and nurses' innovation behavior. Methods: Using a convenience sampling method, 236 clinical nurses were selected from four tertiary grade-A hospitals in Hebei Province, China. Data were collected through four instruments: a general information questionnaire, the head nurses' research-innovation leadership scale, the nurses' innovation behavior scale, and the organizational innovation climate scale. An online data analysis tool SPSS was adopted to conduct descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation model construction. Results: The total score for head nurses' research-innovation leadership was 55.32 ± 12.18, which was at the upper middle level. The total score for organizational innovation climate among nurses was 84.35 ± 11.35, which was at the medium level. The total score for nurses' innovation behavior was 34.65 ± 6.21, which was at the medium level. Nurses' innovation behavior was positively correlated with head nurses' research-innovation leadership (r = 0.380, P < 0.01) and with the organizational innovation climate (r = 0.409, P < 0.01). Organizational innovation climate partially mediated the relationship between the head nurses' research-innovation leadership and nurses' innovation behavior, accounting for 29.6% of the total effect, 95% CI [0.0417~0.1412], the mediating effect is significant (0 excluded). Conclusion: Head nurses' research-innovation leadership has a direct effect on nurses' innovation behavior and can also exert an indirect influence through the organizational innovation climate, but this indirect influence is not absolutely dominant. Nursing managers should enhance their leadership in research and innovation and actively foster a supportive organizational climate to promote innovation behavior among nurses.