Learning Objective #1: Identify work empowerment structures influencing psychological empowerment of nurses

Learning Objective #2: Identify strategies for improving the organizational environment and personal empowerment of nurses

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Empowerment and work structures play a key role in attracting young professionals into nursing and keeping quality nurses from leaving.Attributes in the work environment such as autonomous nursing practice and control of and over nursing practice have been identified as essential to quality care of clients (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 2002).The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between work empowerment structures and psychological empowerment as perceived by nurses in an acute care setting. The following research questions guided this study: (1) what are nurses' perceptions of work structures (opportunities, information, support, resources, relationships with peers and colleagues, relationships with patients and families, and relationships with mentors) and psychological empowerment (meaning competence, self-determination, and impact)? (2) What is the relationship between work empowerment structures and psychological empowerment as perceived by the nurse? A descriptive, correlational design was used to determine the nurses' perceptions regarding psychological empowerment and work empowerment structures. The Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire and the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire were used to measure the major variables. The convenience sample of 48 full-time or part-time registered nurses was recruited from an 84-bed metropolitan hospital in northwest Georgia. Nurses reported that they did not perceive their overall work empowerment structures as being empowering (M = 223.6 out of a total score of 340, SD = 31.34 ). Based on responses concerning psycholgical empowerment, one could infer that the nurses'experienced a moderate amount of psychological empowerment (M = 83.86,out of a total score of 11, SD = 12.26 )in this study. A significant relationship was found (r = .60, p <.01) between psychological empowerment and work empowerment structures in this sample.