Individual nurse empowerment: A concept analysis

Abstract

Aim: This concept analysis aims to distinguish the concept of nurse empowerment as an individual professional process rather than a job-related process and to identify ways in which a clarified understanding of individual empowerment can impact the discipline.Background: The history of nursing as a gendered role has led to oppression in the profession as evidenced by lateral violence and attrition. Empowerment initiatives that focus on a nurse within an organization often provide false power.Design: Walker and Avant's method was used for this concept analysis. Data Source: Published literature from 1990 to 2019 was identified from electronic health profession-related databases, and current definitions and uses of empowerment were pulled from empirical works and electronic databases. Review Methods: A review of abstracts and full text from articles relating to nurse empowerment was performed, and empirical studies used to provide an understanding of the concept as used today. Results: True empowerment entails a nurse controlling her practice and career. Elements of individual empowerment can be pulled from existing work on structural and psychological empowerment. Conclusions: Analyzing nurse empowerment from an individual perspective allows us to move beyond the oppressive history of nursing and move the profession forward to impact our communities. K E Y W O R D S concept analysis, professional issues, workforce "What matters is that nurses determine for themselves how to handle their problems and how to improve their situation through meaningful dialog and engagement with nurse leaders concerning their work-life issues." 1 Concept analysis is the process of assessing fundamental components of a concept with the goal of clarifying its applications and giving it greater ability to convey meaning in different contexts. 2 Concept analysis allows us to understand the ways the concept is used in literature and science and how those uses dynamically change over time. The analysis should provide a basis for advancement, refinement, and specification of a concept and provide the foundation for the use of the concept in theory. Walker and Avant's 2 method was chosen for this concept analysis because the deliberate and concrete steps allow us to pinpoint specific uses of individual or professional empowerment and use an iterative process to reinforce the findings. The process dictates a total of eight steps: select a concept, establish aims of analysis, identify uses of the concept, determine defining attributes, identify a model case, identify borderline and illegitimate cases, identify antecedents and consequences, and define empirical referents. 2

Graduating Nursing Students’ Empowerment and Related Factors: Comparative Study in Six European Countries

“…Nurses' empowerment can be described as a process as well as an outcome [17,18] and as an umbrella term for professional development at work [19], and its level varies over time [20]. In nursing, empowerment can be viewed through four theoretical approaches: organizational/structural theory; psychological theory; critical social theory [8,17]; and mixed theory, which combines the abovementioned theories [8].…”

“…Structural empowerment is significant for helping to deliver an effective workplace culture [21]. It focuses on elements such as nurses' perception of empowerment and leadership, as well as on work outcomes, including engagement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to leave [18,21]. Psychological empowerment focuses on an individual's motivation in the workplace [22], acknowledging that empowerment can vary based on the context [18].…”

“…It focuses on elements such as nurses' perception of empowerment and leadership, as well as on work outcomes, including engagement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to leave [18,21]. Psychological empowerment focuses on an individual's motivation in the workplace [22], acknowledging that empowerment can vary based on the context [18]. According to Spreitzer's theory [22], four dimensions (competence, impact, meaning, and self-determination) must be present in order for empowerment to take place.…”

Women's power in hospital‐based nursing: A critical qualitative study

“…Nurse empowerment may provide one effective strategy for leaders seeking to retain and strengthen their staff. Empowering nurses benefits the nursing workforce, improves patient care and enhances organizational outcomes (Fackler et al, 2015; Molina‐Mula & Gallo‐Estrada, 2020; Woodward, 2020). However, evidence suggests nurses are not sufficiently empowered to actualize their potential to contribute to healthcare systems (McMillan & Perron, 2020).…”

“…Nurse empowerment may provide one effective strategy for leaders seeking to retain and strengthen their staff. Empowering nurses benefits the nursing workforce, improves patient care and enhances organizational outcomes (Fackler et al, 2015;Molina-Mula & Gallo-Estrada, 2020;Woodward, 2020).…”