An evaluation of nurses' professional autonomy in Turkey.
BACKGROUND
The development of a profession's autonomy closely relates to that profession's level of autonomy in performing its specific role. For the nursing profession, this key role is nursing care.


OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to evaluate the professional autonomy of nurses in care provision, from an ethical perspective.


METHODS
A mixed methods approach is employed in this research, which makes use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative dimension of this research covers sociodemographic aspects and makes use of the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale. The qualitative dimension of the research relates to the factors that affect professional autonomy in nursing care.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 30 nurses working in the orthopedics, neurology, or intensive care units of three hospitals.


METHODS
Before conducting this research, we received permission from the ethical committee, as well as written permits from all the institutions in which the research was carried out. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.


RESULTS
According to the findings of this study, only 6.7% of the nurses surveyed stated that nurses had professional autonomy; they also stated that professional autonomy in nursing was mostly restricted by the need to be "dependent upon the physician in nursing implementations" and that autonomy in nursing care was mostly limited by a "high number of patients per nurse."


CONCLUSIONS
This study determined that delays in resolving problems with regard to professional autonomy in nursing care in Turkey could be creating many of the professional and ethical problems that nurses face there.


CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that: individuals choose the nursing profession conscientiously; nurses need to be given professional awareness; their professional organizations need to be strengthened; and plans need to be made to increase research and to accumulate both knowledge and expertise.
Gazi University, Turkey gocmenzehra@yahoo.com.
Zehra Göçmen
ZG
Baykara
Ankara University, Turkey.
Serap
S
Şahinoğlu
D000328:Adult; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
Autonomy; Turkey; nursing; nursing care; professional autonomy; professionalism