Abstract: Objective: To understand the current situation of ICU nurses' safety behaviors and explore the role of error management climate on mediating multiple leadership styles of head nurses and ICU nurses' safety behaviors, thereby providing evidence-based insights for nursing management practices. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 446 ICU nurses selected by convenience sampling method using the general data questionnaire, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Error Management Climate Scale and Nurse Safety Behavior Questionnaire. A mediation effect analysis was subsequently performed. Results: The total score of ICU nurse safety behaviors was 52.60±5.28. The mediation effect test showed that error management climate had a mediating effect (β=0.37, P<0.05) on the relationship between multiple leadership styles of head nurses and ICU nurses' safety behaviors, accounting for 63.79% of the total effect. Conclusion: The score of safety behaviors of ICU nurses is at a moderate to high level, on which the error management climate plays a partial mediating effect. Nurse managers are suggested to implement multiple leadership styles to not only enhance the team's perception of errors, but also reduce the pressure of nurses in perception of errors, which will work together to improve ICU nurses' safety behaviors.

Key words: multiple leadership styles; error management; patient safety; mediating effect