A Study on Empowerment Related Factors of Clinical Nurses

임상간호사의 임파워먼트 관련요인에 관한 연구

The purpose of this research is to identify antecedent variables and outcome variables of the empowerment in clinical nurses, and to suggest managerial strategies for increasing their empowerment. Data were collected from October 12 to 18, 2000 through questionnarie taken by 566 nurses in 3 general hospitals. The 5 structured instruments were used for collecting the data : Spreitzer's Items Measuring Empowerment, Bass's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire-1, Moorman's Equity of rewards scale, Mobley's turnover intention scale, and the Organizational Commitment Scale developed by Mowday, Porter & Steers. The data obtained were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe' test, Pearson's Correlation Coefficients, Factor Analysis, Cronbach's alpha Coefficients, Multiple Regression. The results were as follows; 1. Head nurse's transformational leadership showed an positive correlation with empowerment(r=.304, p=.00). Regression coefficient between transformational leadership and empowerment was significant(${\beta}=.326$, p=.00), However, there was no a correlation between equity of rewards and empowerment. 2. The general characteristics of nurses were significant differences with empowerment. As for position, age, working experience, and education background showed significant difference with empowerment(F=10.979, 11.224, 6.812, 5.411, p<.01). 3. Empowerment showed a positive correlation with organizational commitment and a negative correlation with turnover intention (r=.387, -.274, p=.00). Regression coefficient between empowerment and organization commitment was significant(${\beta}=.365$, p=.00). In conclusion, the more head nurse took the transformational leadership, the higher nurses perceived empowerment. The higher their empowerment level, the higher organizational commitment they perceived. On the contrary, the higher their empowerment level, the lower their turnover intention. Therefore, in order to increase nurses' organization commitment and decrease their turnover intention, their empowerment should be increase. And it is necessary to develop the transformational leadership of head nurses so as to increase empowerment.