Perceptions and characteristics of registered nurses' involvement in decision making.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine the level of actual and preferred decisional involvement and ascertain whether there is decisional dissonance among registered nurses (RNs).


METHODS
A convenience sample of 196 RNs completed a demographic form and the Decisional Involvement Scale, a tool that measures actual and preferred decisional involvement for RNs in 6 categories: unit staffing, quality of professional practice, professional recruitment, unit governance and leadership, quality of support staff practice, and collaboration/liaison activities. From these data, the level of and difference between RN's actual and preferred decisional involvement was analyzed. In addition, the impact of level of education, years of experience, hours worked per pay period, and work setting on actual and preferred decisional involvement were measured.


CONCLUSIONS
A statistically significant difference was found between RNs' actual and preferred decisional involvement, with RNs preferring more decisional involvement than they actually experienced. Work setting was the only variable to which a difference could be attributed. Further study is warranted to find causes of decisional dissonance and interventions that could help alleviate the problem and potentially increase job satisfaction.
Mangold
Kara L
KL
Nursing Graduate Program at Winona State University, Rochester, MN 55904, USA.
Pearson
Kristina K
KK
Schmitz
Julie R
JR
Scherb
Cindy A
CA
Specht
Janet P
JP
Loes
Jean L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003073:Cognitive Dissonance; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology