Methodological characteristics of previous studies revealed that the empowerment of nurse managers was investigated mostly by self-administered questionnaires, and described by structural and psychological approaches. In her study Marija Trus found that nurse managers had from moderate to high level of access to empowering structures (opportunity, information, support, resources). They were also quite strongly psychologically empowered, feeling higher levels of verbal and behavioral empowerment, however, a moderate level of outcome empowerment.
“Their experience of power at unit and organizational level was moderate”, says Marija Trus.
Nurse managers felt most powerful by leading nursing practice in their unit, but they were not able to obtain higher than average pay rises for their subordinates.
The results offer several implications. “Nurse managers felt less confident in their ability to change the way they do their work in the hospital. Thus, it is important to involve them into the activities that concern change process and implementation of change”, Marija Trus notes.
It is also suggested that power-seeking strategies should be adopted in health care organizations.
Marija Trus comes from Klaipeda, Lithuania. She currently works as a lecturer in the Department of Nursing at Klaipeda University.
The doctoral dissertation of MSc (Nurs) Marija Trus in the field of health sciences titled Nurse managers’ work-related empowerment will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University at 12.00 on Friday, 3 May 2019 in the auditorium F025 of the Arvo Building, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, Tampere. The Opponent will be Professor Arja Häggman-Laitila from the University of Eastern Finland. The Custos will be Professor Tarja Suominen.
The dissertation is available online at the http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1041-7
Photo: Artur Trus