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Enhancing the perceived clinical leadership competence of nursing undergraduates through service-learning unit led by students: A quasi-experimental study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Clinical leadership by nurses is crucial to the provision of safe and high-quality care. Service-learning activities led by students (often referred to more broadly as community based learning or a form of experiential learning) can offer nursing undergraduates the opportunity to begin developing their leadership skills. PURPOSE: To assess the impact of a service-learning led by students intervention on the perceived leadership competence of nursing undergraduates. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study conducted across four academic years (2017-2021) and involving 224 nursing undergraduates. In the context of their clinical placements, students in the intervention group participated in a service-learning program led by students, while controls were assigned to a standard primary care placement. Perceived leadership competence was assessed at the beginning and end of placements using the Self-Assessment Leadership Instrument (SALI), which provides a total score and four dimension scores (strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, impact and influence, and teamwork skills) and has been validated and proven reliable for use with nursing students in the Spanish population. RESULTS: Overall ratings of perceived leadership competence were 6% higher among students who participated in the service learning intervention than among controls (p < .001), with a moderate effect (Cohen's d: 0.53; 95% CI [0.27 to 0.80]. Dimension-specific analyses indicated a moderate effect for Impact and Influence and Teamwork Skills, and a small effect for Emotional Intelligence and Strategic Thinking. No significant changes in perceived leadership competence were reported by controls. CONCLUSION: Participation in service-learning unit led by students appears to enhance perceived leadership competence among nursing undergraduates. Further research is needed to assess their long-term impact and alignment between self-perceptions and objectively measured leadership behaviors.

Source: Nurse Education Today

DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2026.106989