title: The development of the Nurse Workplace Scale: self-advocating behaviors and beliefs in the professional workplace.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This project developed and tested the Nurse Workplace Scale (NWS) using data from a random sample of registered nurses in Massachusetts (n = 904). The NWS was adapted from an earlier checklist that measured group behaviors and beliefs in the workplace of a variety of nurses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurses have been thought to display non-self-advocating behaviors and beliefs that have contributed to disempowering their contribution in health care systems, but no tool has been available to assist nurse managers or clinical nurse leaders to test outcomes that measure progress toward changing these behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-validation procedure was used to establish the reliability and validity of the NWS to measure behaviors in nurses that are counterproductive in the workplace.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two components, "internalized sexism" and "minimization of self" behaviors, were established. Scores on the scales were shown to vary with the age and practice settings of the nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NWS can be used in professional development settings and nurse workplace intervention studies to measure outcomes congruent with nurse empowerment.
authors.affiliation: William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 334 H Cushing Hall, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3812, USA. rosanna.demarco@bc.edu
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeMarco
authors.forename: Susan Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: McCurry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011209:Power, Psychological; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*