Objective: to identify the level of empowerment among the nurses from a hospital located in the south of Chile and verify its potential association with personal and professional characterization variables. Method: cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted with 117 nurses from a hospital in the south of Chile. Data were collected in 2018 using a personal and professional characterization form and the Spanish version of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: the means of the factors of the empowerment scale were: Opportunity (4.11±0.82); Information (3.81±0.90); Support (3.81±0.86), and Resources (3.13±0.97). Statistically significant differences were found between empowerment and having greater professional experience, working in the medical-surgical unit, having from 3 to 10 patients under responsibility, job satisfaction, and intention to quit their jobs. Conclusion: the nurses reported a positive perception of empowerment in their roles, especially concerning having opportunities to perform tasks that contribute to acquiring new knowledge and skills at work.