Objective To evaluate the feasibility of an online evidence-based leadership training programme for nurse leaders and its potential effectiveness in improving nurse leaders’ evidence-based leadership competencies.

Design This is a two-arm, parallel, feasibility randomised controlled trial.

Methods We screened all 160 nurse leaders from two Chinese hospitals. Eligible participants who gave their informed consent were randomly assigned to either an evidence-based leadership training group or a conventional online training group at each site and received a 7-month intervention. Pre-test and post-test assessments gauged feasibility and potential effectiveness. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis.

Results Of the 160 screened participants, 119 (74%) were assigned to the intervention group (n=59, 50%) or active control group (n=60, 50%). In the intervention group, the number of participant logins in the modules ranged from 21 (36%) to 58 (98%), while in the control group, it ranged from 20 (33%) to 57 (95%). Participants in the intervention group (n=59) completed 42% of the 531 assigned tasks, while the control group (n=60) completed 41% of their 540 assigned tasks. Regarding course task adherence, participants in the intervention group returned 3.8 (SD=3.2) tasks (out of 9 tasks), while the control group returned 3.7 (SD=3.5) tasks (out of 9 tasks). A total of 22 (18%) out of 119 participants dropped out of the study, with 9 (15%) out of 59 from the intervention group and 13 (22%) out of 60 from the control group.

Conclusions While the intervention demonstrated a degree of feasibility, measures can still be taken to improve intervention acceptability, course adherence and course task adherence. A full and powered randomised controlled trial is needed to test the intervention’s effectiveness and to ensure the feasibility of the study in clinical settings.

Trail registration number ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT05244499.