Introduction:
The demand for nursing services is rapidly increasing, and consequently, the need for effective leadership in nursing to provide high-quality, evidence-based care in multicultural environments is becoming more essential. Nursing leadership requires research that explores its various roles and characteristics, contributing to improved performance in clinical settings. Leadership is defined as the process through which an individual influences a group of people to achieve common goals. This influence is primarily exerted through the leader's speech and communication, which can establish effective connections with organizational stakeholders.
Aesthetic leadership is a modern leadership style that encourages the deep sensory engagement of leaders in organizational communication, fostering an understanding of emotions. This approach is based on intense sensory involvement, enabling the creation of a more humane environment for both patients and colleagues. In this regard, the aesthetic discourse of nursing leaders plays a key role in establishing effective communication and fostering an atmosphere filled with empathy and ethical values.
This study examines the role of aesthetics in the discourse of nursing leaders in Iran and analyzes various dimensions of aesthetic leadership in this field.
Methods:
This study employed a qualitative approach and conventional content analysis to examine the aesthetic dimensions in the speech of nursing managers and leaders. The research population comprised leadership teams and nursing managers at various managerial levels (senior, middle, and operational) in hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Initially, the first participant was selected based on recommendations from senior faculty members specializing in aesthetic leadership. Subsequent participants were introduced by nursing managers. The inclusion criteria required individuals to hold an official leadership position in nursing and to be recognized for their aesthetic-oriented approach within the organizational context.
The study participants consisted of 28 aesthetic-oriented nursing leaders, including five matrons, 12 supervisors, and 11 head nurses from hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted, with an average duration of 75 minutes per interview. The interviews took place in quiet settings at times chosen by the participants. With their written consent, the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim.
Data analysis was performed using MAXQDA 2020 software, following the coding approach proposed by Griesheim & Lundman. To ensure the credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability of the research, rigorous validation criteria were applied. Additionally, maximum diversity in sampling was maintained to enhance the transferability of findings to other contexts. In addition to interviews, written and verbal documents—including guidelines, letters, and reports—were analyzed to further examine the discourse of nursing managers.
Results:
Ethical-Oriented Aesthetic Speech
The interviewees considered ethical conduct as a fundamental aspect of aesthetic speech in managerial communication. They emphasized key elements such as maintaining respect in speech, demonstrating courage, ensuring fairness, upholding human dignity, practicing honesty, and respecting individuals’ privacy in verbal interactions.
Spiritually-Oriented Aesthetic Speech
From the perspective of aesthetic-oriented nursing leaders, spirituality represents another dimension of aesthetic speech in managerial communication. Participants highlighted aspects such as humor, attentiveness to the emotional and semantic weight of words, expressing empathy through speech, and maintaining a positive tone in verbal communication.
Intellectually-Oriented Aesthetic Speech
The participants regarded intellectuality as a reflection of beauty in nursing speech. They identified several essential aspects, including speech that fosters trust, attention to non-verbal communication and body language, maintaining an appropriate tone, providing clear explanations to patients, addressing patients correctly by name, using refined vocabulary, employing communication techniques suited to different individuals, ensuring coherence and structure in speech, adopting a professional tone in the workplace, utilizing appropriate language as a disciplinary or motivational tool, demonstrating negotiation skills, and incorporating metaphorical language in speech.
Discussion :
Manix's (2015) study demonstrated that aesthetic leadership in nursing encompasses support, effective communication, and attentiveness to colleagues' emotions. Aesthetic leaders exhibit characteristics such as ethical orientation, spirituality, and intellectuality in their speech, which contribute to fostering a positive work environment, enhancing job satisfaction, and improving nurse retention(12).
Aesthetic leadership shares commonalities with ethical leadership, emphasizing principles such as honesty, respect, empathy, and human dignity. These leaders enhance the workplace environment through effective communication, appropriate body language, suitable tone, and speech techniques tailored to specific situations(20). Previous studies have also highlighted aesthetic values such as goodness, truth, and utility in nursing leadership(21).
The theoretical perspective of the Four Season Symphonic in Nursing underscores the harmony between intellectuality, spirituality, ethics, and aesthetics in nursing leadership and management. Aesthetic leaders create a supportive environment by engaging their cognitive and sensory faculties, such as  keen mind, keen tongue, keen ears, keen eyes, keen heart , keen limbs , aesthetic judgment, and empathy. The aesthetic attributes of their speech influence stakeholders’ emotions and contribute to improving professional interactions(16).
Ultimately, aesthetic leadership in nursing, by focusing on emotions and a deep understanding of the needs of both patients and colleagues, enhances the quality of care, increases nurses’ motivation to remain within the organization, and fosters cohesion in clinical settings(30).
Conclusion:
The aesthetic speech of nursing leaders, emphasizing ethics, spirituality, and intellectuality, plays a crucial role in creating positive work environments and improving the quality of care. This form of speech not only enhances patient trust and satisfaction but also fosters positive interactions among colleagues. Overall, aesthetic leadership can contribute to strengthening interpersonal relationships and improving working conditions for nurses in healthcare organizations.
Keywords: Leadership, Management, Speech, Aestheticism, Nursing