Exploring the Relationships Among New Graduate Nurses’ Structural Empowerment, Psychological Empowerment, Work Engagement, and Clinical Nurse Educator Leadership in Acute Care Settings
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to examine relationships and to gain further knowledge into the significance of the leadership role of acute care clinical nurse educators and the relationship with structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and work engagement amongst new graduate nurses working in acute care settings.
Methods: 83 participants, registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), responded to a mail-out survey package containing four instruments corresponding to each study variable, along with a demographic questionnaire. The analysis includes study descriptives, correlations of total and subscales, and moderation analysis of structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and clinical nurse educator leadership
Results: A moderate level of structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, clinical nurse educator leadership, and work engagement among new graduate nurses was found within the study. Positive correlations were found among all main study variables. Findings showed that clinical nurse educator leadership did not moderate the relationship between structural and psychological empowerment.
Conclusions: Results show the importance of clinical nurse educator leadership as it is related to new graduate nurses’ structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and work engagement in the acute care setting.