Fatimah Alyousef^1,, Zainab Alswaid¹, Eman Alshikh¹, Sameerah Alkhabbaz¹, Amal Almalali¹, Amal Mohamed¹, Reem Almoslem¹, Ebtihal Alfardan¹

This study investigates the impact of nurse leadership styles on nursing staff performance in both rural healthcare divisions and the Qatif Health Network under the Eastern Health Cluster in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional design was used, employing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) to measure transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles. Data from 380 nurses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses. Results revealed that transformational and transactional leadership styles had strong positive correlations with job satisfaction, while laissez-faire leadership showed no significant effect. No statistically significant difference was found between rural and urban settings, suggesting that effective leadership practices transcend environmental differences. The findings underscore the importance of developing transformational and transactional leadership skills to improve nurse satisfaction, retention, and performance, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals for healthcare excellence.

Transformational leadership, transactional leadership, laissez-faire leadership, nursing performance, job satisfaction, rural healthcare, Qatif Health Network, Eastern Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030