Healthcare Leadership – master’s thesis topics and themes 2025

Healthcare leadership has become increasingly vital as healthcare systems strive to improve patient outcomes, population health, and organisational performance (Restivo et al., 2022). Effective leadership enables teams to translate evidence‑based practice into daily work, optimise limited resources, and maintain high standards in complex and constantly changing environments (Sayyed et al., 2025). When leaders succeed in strengthening shared purpose, motivation, and team cohesion, healthcare professionals show greater compliance in their tasks and patients benefit from improved care (Restivo et al., 2022). At the same time, modern healthcare requires leadership that is adaptive and collaborative rather than rigid or hierarchical, recognising that multiple leadership styles, from opinion and ethical leadership to transformational and situational, must be applied according to context. Consequently, academic education and professional development on leadership topics, training and development are critical to enhancing healthcare leadership in practice, organisational and societal contexts (Marcellus et al., 2018). Because no single leadership approach fits all settings, leaders need both strong professional preparation and the interpersonal skills necessary to guide teams, foster well‑being, and navigate organisational challenges, an idea reflected in this blog post (Restivo et al., 2022). 

The objective of this blog post is to review the themes and topics of the master’s theses completed during 2025 by students within the master’s degree programme Healthcare Leadership at Arcada University of Applied Sciences. As part of the study plan, all master students of the programme are required to complete a 30 ECTS master’s thesis on EQF7 level, where they develop and broaden their knowledge base on healthcare leadership.

A review of 2025 theses

Rengin Kurki’s (2025) thesis, The impact of transformational leadership on nurses’ job satisfaction and organisational commitment: a literature review, examines how transformational leadership influences nurses’ job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Through a literature review of 19 studies, the work shows that transformational leadership consistently enhances motivation, communication, empowerment, and a supportive work climate. These factors improve both job satisfaction and nurses’ alignment with organisational values. Kurki (2025) concludes that transformational leadership is a highly effective and globally applicable approach for strengthening nurse well‑being and improving the overall quality of healthcare.

In her thesis Registered Nurses' Perspectives on Career Development in Social and Healthcare in Finland: Leadership as a Career Path, Sihvonen (2025) investigates registered nurses’ perceptions of career development and pathways into leadership roles in Finland. Based on a nationwide questionnaire and supporting literature, the study reveals that nurses value career progression but face inconsistent opportunities depending on organisational support. Clear career structures, educational access, and managerial encouragement are identified as key enablers, whereas unclear pathways hinder advancement. The thesis highlights the need for more transparent leadership trajectories and improved developmental practices to support retention and professional growth.

The thesis Physician Burnout during COVID-19 in the Nordic countries, written by Anna Meurman-Pawli (2025) explores physician burnout in Nordic countries during the COVID‑19 pandemic through a review of 16 studies. The thesis concludes that reported burnout levels varied widely in the Nordic countries, with the highest rates in frontline specialties, such as intensive care and general practice. Key contributors included workload pressure, inadequate managerial support, and gender-related differences. Protective factors such as strong leadership and resilient healthcare infrastructure were also identified. The findings emphasise the urgency of organisational and policy‑level strategies to reduce burnout and safeguard both physicians and patient outcomes.

In her thesis How psychological safety is created or damaged in healthcare teams: the role of leadership traits and self-awareness, Gudre (2025) investigates how leadership behaviours and leaders’ self-awareness shape psychological safety in healthcare teams. The narrative review of 35 publications shows that psychological safety is essential for open communication, collaborative learning, and early error detection. Leaders who demonstrate emotional regulation, openness, and reflective practice strengthen psychological safety, while punitive or unpredictable behaviours weaken it. Importantly, self‑awareness can moderate even challenging leadership traits, allowing them to be redirected constructively. The thesis underlines the need for leadership development that integrates emotional intelligence and reflective competence to enhance team functioning and patient safety.

Sveinsdottir (2025) examines in situ simulation as a tool for improving healthcare quality and staff preparedness. The thesis, Simulation in situ for healthcare personnel: a scoping review on benefits and challenges of simulation in situ, reviewed nine studies that show that in situ simulation effectively exposes latent safety threats and enhances team communication and organisational readiness. The method also reduces stress associated with critical events, supporting psychological resilience among healthcare personnel. The thesis argues that, despite logistical challenges, simulation should be viewed as essential infrastructure for safe, high‑quality care in increasingly complex healthcare environments.

In the thesis “Treated like trash” versus “Heart in the right place” - a netnographic analysis of what is said about healthcare workers online, Ehrnsten (2025) analyses how healthcare professionals are portrayed in online public discussions in Finland, drawing on Vygotsky’s Social Constructivist Theory. The qualitative content analysis of 275 Suomi24 posts shows that negative perceptions dominate discussions about physicians, nurses, and healthcare management. Recurring themes include perceived unprofessionalism, communication problems, workload pressures, and ethical concerns. Positive comments exist but remain marginal. The thesis concludes that public narratives are often shaped by collective cultural experiences rather than individual encounters and may reinforce declining professional esteem and worsen workforce challenges.

Onyemaucheya’s (2025) thesis, Adoption of artificial intelligence to support healthcare and clinical education: a scoping review on policymakers' and users’ perceptions in Nigeria and South Africa, reviews the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare in Nigeria and South Africa. The scoping review maps current perspectives among policymakers and healthcare professionals, highlighting AI’s potential to support early detection, personalised care, and equitable access. However, the analysis identifies barriers such as inadequate training, insufficient infrastructure, and financial constraints. The thesis argues for stronger policy frameworks and capacity-building efforts to enable safe, ethical, and effective AI integration into clinical practice across African health systems.

Kahelin (2025) explores how nurses articulate their professional identity in online discussions during major transformations in the healthcare sector. Using qualitative netnography, the thesis, Voices of nurses: Professional identity in online forums during times of change: qualitative content analysis of nurses’ experiences, identifies five key themes: professional recognition, moral responsibility, workload and coping, ethical strain, and identity crisis or disengagement. The findings show that while nurses’ identities are grounded in responsibility and commitment, they are weakened by escalating demands and insufficient recognition. Kahelin (2025) concludes that online platforms offer an important space for nurses to process these pressures and that supporting professional identity is essential for well‑being, retention, and the sustainability of healthcare services.

Conclusions

Together, the 2025 theses offer a multifaceted view of healthcare leadership at a time when systems, professionals, and patient expectations are undergoing rapid change. Across various topics, ranging from transformational leadership and psychological safety to AI adoption, burnout, simulation training, career development, and public perceptions, a combining narrative emerges: the role of leadership. Several theses (Kurki 2025; Gudre, 2025; Sveinsdottir, 2025) highlight leadership’s direct role in building healthy, safe, and high‑performing work environments. Leadership is also shown to be a decisive factor in how healthcare professionals experience their work and plan their futures. Sihvonen (2025) and Kahelin (2025) reveal that unclear career structures, escalating demands, and limited recognition strain professional identity and reduce retention. Strong, supportive, and transparent leadership is therefore critical for creating sustainable career pathways and maintaining a motivated workforce. The theses also draw attention to leadership’s role in navigating systemic challenges. Meurman-Pawli (2025) demonstrates that insufficient managerial support contributes to physician burnout, while Onyemaucheya (2025) shows that successful adoption of technological innovations like AI depends on leaders who can manage change, build competence, and establish ethical and practical frameworks. Ehrnsten’s (2025) findings on public perceptions further emphasise that leaders must also engage with societal narratives, as public discourse shapes trust, professional esteem, and ultimately workforce stability.

Collectively, these studies underscore that leadership behaviours shape not only team dynamics but also organisational culture and resilience. They also demonstrate that the future of healthcare will not be shaped solely by new technologies, organisational reforms, or workforce strategies, but by the leadership that connects them. With the deeper knowledge that these theses provide on the role of leadership, they have great value and can support healthcare leaders.

As degree programme director, I am grateful for of our students’ contributions. Thank you for your hard work!

Jonas Danielson, Ph.D., Degree Programme Director, Healthcare Leadership master’s degree programme, Arcada UAS

References

Ehrnstén, W. (2025). “Treated like trash” versus “Heart in the right place” - a netnographic analysis of what is said about healthcare workers online. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025123139033  

Gudre, L. (2025). How psychological safety is created or damaged in healthcare teams: the role of leadership traits and self-awareness. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121938511  

Kahelin, E. (2025). Voices of nurses: Professional identity in online forums during times of change: qualitative content analysis of nurses’ experiences. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025123139040  

Kurki, R. (2025). The impact of transformational leadership on nurses’ job satisfaction and organizational commitment: a literature review. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202504257679  

Marcellus, L., Duncan, S., MacKinnon, K., Jantzen, D., Siemens, J., Brennan, J., & Kassam, S. (2018). The Role of Education in Developing Leadership in Nurses. Nursing leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 31(4), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.12927/cjnl.2019.25758

Meurman-Pawli, A. (2025). Physician Burnout during COVID-19 in the Nordic countries. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025112630009  

Onyemaucheya, K. (2025). Adoption of Artificial Intelligence to Support Healthcare and Clinical Education: A Scoping Review on Policymakers' and Users’ Perceptions in Nigeria and South Africa. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025123139055  

Restivo, V., Minutolo, G., Battaglini, A., Carli, A., Capraro, M., Gaeta, M., ... & Casuccio, A. (2022). Leadership effectiveness in healthcare settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and before–after studies. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(17), 10995.

Sayyed, A., Sahu, S., Kanyal, D., & Sable, S. (2025). Effective leadership strategies in healthcare: A narrative review. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(3), 2025090-2025090.

Sihvonen, L. (2025). Registered nurses' perspectives on career development in social and healthcare in Finland: leadership as a career path. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121637348  

Sveinsdóttir, H. (2025). Simulation in situ for healthcare personnel: a scoping review on benefits and challenges of simulation in situ. Arcada UAS. Available at: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121938548