Jordanian Nurse Leaders’ Empowering Behaviors and Contributing Factors as Perceived by Staff Nurses

Abstract

Background: Leader empowering behaviors have a positive effect on quality nursing care, nurses’ job satisfaction and organizational outcomes. Leaders empower nurses through motivating staff, enhancing the meaningfulness of work, facilitating nurses’ efforts to learn, grow and use their skills to participate in decision-making. They also exhibit confidence in employees’ abilities and performance, support them with information and resources, and increase their work autonomy. This study aimed to evaluate Jordanian nurse leaders’ empowering behaviors and shed light on the contributing factors as perceived by staff nurses.

Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational designs were used. A convenience sample of 414 registered nurses from 12 hospitals in Jordan was recruited to complete the leader empowering behaviors scale developed by Hui.

Results: Jordanian staff nurses reflected moderate levels of leader empowering behaviors. Seven factors were found to affect Jordanian nurse leaders’ empowering behaviors as perceived by staff nurses: shift work, staff participation in continuing education programs, leadership style, hospital type, nurses’ age and experience, and daily census rate of the department. A multiple linear regression model debriefed three variables (continuing education programs, nurses’ experience, and shift work). These variables explained approximately 55% of the variance in leader empowering behaviors.

Conclusion: This study deepens the understanding that nurses’ capabilities and experience are the most important factors in nurse leader empowering behaviors as perceived by Jordanian nurses. For better empowerment, nurse managers should encourage staff nurse participation in different continuing education programs to advance their skills and abilities, and enhance professional development.