title: Professional autonomy of occupational health nurses in the United States.
abstract: Autonomy, the freedom to practice independently and to exercise professional judgment in practice activities, is a central element for professional practice. Numerous articles and studies have reported on professional autonomy in general nursing practice; however, professional autonomy for occupational health nurses has not been explored in depth. This article advances the development of a body of knowledge relative to professional autonomy in the practice of occupational health nursing. This article also provides an overview of professional autonomy in nursing practice; discusses the nature and importance of professional autonomy in the occupational health practice setting; reports findings from a seminal study of occupational health nurse autonomy; and addresses professional autonomy in the context of collaborative practice.
authors.affiliation: Croft-Taylor Consulting, LLC, Ridgefield, CT, USA. mcthomps@comcast.net
authors.forename: Margaret C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce