Sustainable healthcare futures: how digital leadership stimulates nurses' green creativity: a quasi-experimental study

Background In the context of increasing environmental consciousness, integrating sustainable practices in healthcare is essential. Nurses' green creativity, defined as their ability to generate innovative, eco-friendly solutions, is pivotal in this transformation. Digital leadership, which leverages technology to guide sustainable practices, plays a critical role in fostering this creativity among nurses. Aim This study aimed to investigate the impact of digital leadership on enhancing nurses' green creativity and to evaluate the effectiveness of digital leadership strategies in promoting sustainability within healthcare settings. Research hypothesis: H1: Participation in a digital leadership program will lead to a significant enhancement in nurses' knowledge about digital leadership.H2: A digital leadership program will have a significantly positive impact on fostering nurses' green creativity. Methods A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 128 nurses randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in a digital leadership training program. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, the Digital Leadership Competency Scale, and the Green Creativity Scale, before and after the intervention. Results: The mean knowledge score in the intervention group increased from 15.21 +/- 4.22 pre-intervention to 44.29 +/- 2.61 post-intervention (p < 0.001). For digital leadership competency, the mean score in the intervention group rose from 191.67 +/- 20.43 to 552.14 +/- 16.72 (p < 0.001). The mean score for green creativity in the intervention group significantly improved from 15.58 +/- 1.68 to 42.31 +/- 2.54 (p < 0.001). Conclusion The study concluded that digital leadership programs significantly enhance nurses' green creativity. Integrating digital leadership into nursing practice can promote sustainability and innovation in healthcare settings.