title: Shared governance and empowerment in registered nurses working in a hospital setting.
abstract: Empowerment of registered nurses through professional practice models inclusive of shared governance has been proposed as essential to improve quality patient care, contain costs, and retain nursing staff. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceptions of governance and empowerment among nurses working in acute care hospital units in which a shared governance model had been in place for 6 to 12 months. The 158 nurses who participated perceived themselves to be moderately empowered and in an early implementation stage of shared governance. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between perceptions of shared governance and empowerment. Recommendations for professional practice and future research are included.
authors.affiliation: Patient and Family Centered Care at Long Island Jewish Hospital, 270-05 76th Ave, New Hyde Park, NY, USA. abarden@nshs.edu
authors.forename: Agnes M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barden
authors.forename: Mary T Quinn
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Moreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: Joyce J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D054976:Clinical Governance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010465:Perception; D011209:Power, Psychological