Community Health Nursing Competency and Psychological and Organizational Empowerment of Public Health Nurses in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: This study explored the effect of public health nurses’ current community care nursing competency on the psychological and organizational empowerment of public health services in Taiwan.Method: A cross-sectional survey design and a self-developed structured questionnaire were administered to Taiwanese public health nurses, recruited using a purposive sampling technique, who participated in community health care workshops offered by Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2019.Results: The majority of subjects were aged between 40 and 49 years and reported working in public health for over 10 years. Furthermore, 89.30% of the subjects worked in a Public Health Center. The mean score of Community Care Nursing Competence (CCNC) was 3.92 ± 0.83 (measured using a five-point Likert scale). The mean score in Community Empowerment (CE) was 3.66 ± 0.90, between “Neutral” and “Agree.” The CCNC was positively correlated with the workplace. The CE was positively correlated with age. The CCNC was positively correlated with psychological and organizational empowerment. The stepwise regression revealed that age (B = 0.18, p = .021) and communication competence (B = 0.17, p = .002) positively predicted community empowerment. Conclusions: The study revealed that age and communication competence were crucial factors in public health nurses working in the community. With age and through the accumulation of practical experience, Taiwanese public health nurses’ communication competence may also improve, which can further enhance their psychological and organizational empowerment in the nursing workplace.