A Study on Relationship among Perception of Clinical Ladder System, Professional Self-Concept and Empowerment based on Nurses' Clinical Career Stage

Min, A-Ri

Tuesday, 19 November 2013: 8:30 AM

A-Ri Min, MSN
Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
In Sook Kim, PhD
College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Tae Wha Lee, PhD, RN
College of Nursing, Nursing Environments and Systems, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Yong Ae Cho, RN, MSN
Nursing department, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to learn the nurses’ perception of clinical ladder system.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to explore the relationship among perception of clinical ladder system, professional self-concept and empowerment.

Background: Medical institutions have recently been faced with the task of searching for innovative strategies that can be implemented to achieve high-quality medical services and efficient management systems. In this regard, the nursing sector has also established as its main business goals the specialization of nurses’ roles, a requirement for multi-functional roles, and acquisition of low-cost, high-efficiency labor. As part of its effort to achieve such goals, it has taken an interest in the clinical ladder system.

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify nurses’ perception of clinical ladder system and explore the relationship among perception of clinical ladder system, professional self-concept and empowerment.

Method : The sample was 162 nurses conveniently selected from a tertiary care hospital in Seoul. Data were collected using the structured questionnaires including the perception of clinical ladder system scale(Park & Lee, 2010), the professional self-concept scale(Arthur, 1992) and the empowerment scale(Chandler, 1986). Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Multiple linear Regression were performed using SPSS WIN 18.0 program.

Result : Nurses' perception of clinical ladder system differed according to the clinical career stage that they belong (F=7.009, p=.000). There was statistically significant relationship among perception of clinical ladder system and professional self-concept(r=0.568, p=.000), and empowerment(r=0.596, p=.000). The perception of clinical ladder system accounted for 42.3% of the professional self-concept and 41.9% of the empowerment.

Conclusion : The nursing department and medical institution must be supported in their efforts to operate the system in a way that satisfies the nurses’ expectations. Such efforts can enhance the perception of the clinical ladder system and facilitate its efficient operation, which can positively affect professional self-concept and empowerment, factors that have a positive correlation with the perception of the clinical ladder system. This, in turn, will contribute to effective human resource management.

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