School nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy.
The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school nurses surveyed perceived themselves to have a high degree of autonomy and a moderate degree of empowerment, and they reported that their access to informal power structures was higher than their access to formal power structures in their school systems. School nurses can benefit by understanding factors that can increase their empowerment in the workplace. They need to understand the organizational structure of their workplace to increase their effectiveness and job satisfaction.
Waltham Public Schools, Waltham, MA, USA.
Marie C
MC
DeSisto
Thomas Patrick
TP
DeSisto
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011209:Power, Psychological; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012573:School Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce