A nursing manager who was perceived to be a good leader, was visible, consulted with staff, provided praise and recognition and where flexible work schedules were available was found to distinguish the positive and negative wards. However, for a ward to be rated as positive overall, nurse leaders need to perform well on all the leadership items. Conclusion. An effective nursing unit manager who consults with staff and provides positive feedback and who is rated highly
on a broad range of leadership items is instrumental in increasing job satisfaction and satisfaction with nursing.