Nurse managers’ managerial innovation and it’s relation to proactivity behavior and locus of control among intensive care nurses

Abstract Background The nursing profession is undergoing rapid transformation, requiring innovation in management approaches and proactive behaviors among staff. Nurse Managers play a vital role through managerial innovation, but its impacts on intensive care nurses’ proactivity and locus of control remain underexplored. Objectives This study aimed to assess the levels of Nurse Managers’ managerial innovation and relate it to proactivity behaviors and locus of control orientations among intensive care nurses. Methods A cross-sectional correlational design was adopted, recruiting 242 intensive care nurses from Tanta University Hospital, Egypt. Participants completed standardized questionnaires measuring perceived managerial innovation, proactivity behavior, and locus of control. Results Nurse Managers demonstrated moderately high innovation across all dimensions, especially in continuous learning and development (mean = 4.65) and advanced technology use (mean = 4.56). Nurses exhibited sound proactivity levels, particularly in adaptability (mean = 4.40) and planning (mean = 4.35). The majority of nurses showed an internal locus of control (64.5%). Managerial innovation had significant positive correlations with nurses’ proactivity ( r  = 0.45, p  < 0.001) and internal locus of control ( r  = 0.42, p  < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed age, gender, experience, education, and ICU type as significant predictors of proactivity and locus of control. Conclusion Innovative nursing leadership positively influences staff’s proactivity levels and perceived control over their practice. This underscores the vital role of nurse managers in creating empowering environments in intensive care.