Author

Travis Wing

Date of Award

2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing

Program

Nursing

Supervisor

Dr. Sandra Regan

Abstract

In this secondary analysis, Kanter’s (1977) theory of structural empowerment was tested using a predictive, non-experimental design in a sample of new graduate nurses working in hospital settings in Ontario (n=394). The two hypothesized models predicted that high levels of structural empowerment would be associated with lower mental health symptoms, which would be mediated by high levels of coworker and supervisor incivility,respectively. TheConditionsforWorkEffectivenessQuestionnaire-II (Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, & Wilk, 2001), the Workplace Incivility Scale (Cortina,

Magley, Williams, & Langhout, 2001), and the State of Mind subscale of the Pressure Management Indicator (Williams & Cooper, 2001) were used to measure study variables. Both hypothesized models revealed coworker and supervisor incivility partially mediated the relationship between empowerment and mental health symptoms. The findings suggest that empowering workplaces contribute to lower mental health symptoms in new graduate nurses, an effect that is diminished by incivility.

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