| Learning Objective #1: Discuss ways of creating empowering work environments for nurse practitioners | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the impact of empowerment and collaboration on nurse practitioners' job satisfaction |
Objectives: Kanter’s (1977, 1993) Theory of Organizational Empowerment provides a framework for investigating the role of empowering work conditions among nurse practitioners (NPs). Kanter (1977, 1993) maintains that work environments which provide access to information, resources, support, and opportunity to develop are empowering and enable employees to be effective in their work. The main objective of this study was to test a theoretical model linking NPs’ perceptions of structural and psychological empowerment, collaboration with physicians and managers, and job satisfaction.
Design: A predictive, non-experimental design was used to test the model in a sample of 113 NPs working in hospital and community settings in Ontario, Canada.
Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to all registered nurses who indicated they worked as NPs on the College of Nurses of Ontario registry list. Participants were asked to complete the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, Spreitzer’s Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, Stichler’s Collaborative Behaviour Scale - Parts A and B, and a Global Job Satisfaction measure.
Findings: The combined effect of structural and psychological empowerment, and degree of collaboration with physicians explained 40.9% of the variance in NP job satisfaction. All three variables were significant independent predictors of job satisfaction.
Conclusions: The results of this study support the proposition that the extent to which NPs have access to information, support, resources, and opportunities in their work environment, high levels of psychological empowerment, and good NP/MD collaborative relationships experience higher levels of job satisfaction in their work settings.
Implications: To increase NPs’ level of empowerment, barriers to accessing information, support, supplies and opportunities within the work environment must be identified and strategies to provide greater access to these structures employed. NPs, administrators, and physicians must also collaborate to build a climate of mutual trust that encourages autonomous professional practice.
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