New Graduate Nurses' Structural Empowerment and Their Experience of Co-worker Incivility and Burnout
Degree
Master of Science
Program
Nursing
Supervisor
Dr. Heather K. Laschinger
Abstract
Burnout among new graduate nurses [NGNs] is a risk to workplace retention and commitment to the nursing profession. With threats of nursing shortages, safeguarding and supporting NGN to maintain workplace allegiance and professional commitment is paramount. Research has highlighted the harmful effects of uncivil working environments and the deleterious effects it can have on working relationships. In this secondary analysis, Kanter’s (1977) theory of structural empowerment was tested using a predictive, non-experimental design in a sample of NGN working in acute care hospitals in Ontario. Two hypothesized models predicted that high levels of structural empowerment and low levels of coworker incivility are associated with low levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism among NGN. Both workplace empowerment and incivility were significant strong predictors of lower levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. The overall findings suggest the combination of empowering workplaces and fewer incidences of incivility from co-workers influence NGN experiences of burnout.
Recommended Citation
Bushell, Pamela, "New Graduate Nurses' Structural Empowerment and Their Experience of Co-worker Incivility and Burnout" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1144.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1144