Workplace Empowerment as Perceived by Staff Nurses in Acute Health Care Hospitals

Abstract

Empowerment is culture-bound expression that may vary in meaning across the different cultures. It is the expansion of freedom of choice, ability to act, autonomously, control of resources and ability to make decisions. Efforts to improve nursing working conditions are critical to retaining nurses currently in the system and attracting newcomers to the profession. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the workplace empowerment as perceived by staff nurses in acute health care hospitals, through a cross-section survey in three hospitals. The study sample was selected randomly. The condition of work effectiveness questioner_II (CWEQII) was used to measure the structure of workplace empowerment. The results indicate that the staff nurses reported moderate level of empowerment and some factors affecting positively the workplace empowerment like high education level and experience of staff.