Purpose: This study was performed to identify the mediating effect of empowerment in the relationship between head nurses' servant leadership and organizational commitment among clinical nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 249 nurses was recruited from three hospitals located in J province, South Korea. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires, including general characteristics, servant leadership, empowerment, and organizational commitment. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, and linear regression using the SPSS 22.0 program. Results: Head nurses' servant leadership perceived by clinical nurses significantly influenced their organization commitment. Empowerment partly mediated the effect of servant leadership on organizational commitment.
Conclusion:The findings suggest the importance of improving nurse managers' servant leadership and empowering nurses to increase their organizational commitment.