Leading with Care: The Influence of Caring Leadership on Nurses’ Caring Behavior and Patient Satisfaction in Hospital Settings, A systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Patient satisfaction reflects the quality of nursing care in terms of professionalism, compassion, and responsiveness. It depends more on nurses’ caring behaviors and leadership support than on clinical outcomes. Declining satisfaction and inconsistent caring practices highlight the impact of staff shortages and poor leadership. Evidence on the integration of caring leadership, caring behaviors, and satisfaction remains limited in Indonesia, prompting this review to strengthen culturally relevant nursing leadership and healthcare quality in the country.

Methods: A systematic review based on the PRISMA framework included four stages: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Databases searched were PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library with the keywords “patient satisfaction”, “caring behavior,” and “caring leadership.” Eligible articles were full-text studies (2019–2023) in nursing and health professions available in Open Access or Open Archive. Data were managed using Mendeley, and thematic analysis was performed.

Results: Twenty-five studies were included. Patient satisfaction was shaped by responsiveness, empathy, and reliability, which aligned with the WHO quality indicators. Caring behaviors are correlated with engagement, job satisfaction, resilience, and leadership style. Caring leadership, marked by empathy, support, and inspiration, enhances nurses’ caring behaviors and patient satisfaction across diverse hospital settings.

Conclusions: This review affirms the central role of caring leadership in shaping nurses’ caring behaviors and improving patient satisfaction. The implementation of culturally adapted caring leadership models in Indonesian hospitals is recommended to address regional disparities, improve nurses’ well-being, and enhance the quality of care. Future research should examine the long-term impacts of these models on patient satisfaction and healthcare performance across diverse settings.