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Practice and clinical decision-making autonomy among Hellenic critical care nurses
Elizabeth D E Papathanassoglou1, Maria Tseroni, Athena Karydaki
1University of Athens School of Nursing, Athens, Greece. elipapa@nurs.uoa.gr
Journal of Nursing Management
|February 22, 2005
Summary
Hellenic intensive care nurses report moderate autonomy in technical tasks but low autonomy in clinical decision-making. Educational preparation, gender, and hospital factors influence their practice autonomy.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Management
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Nursing autonomy is crucial for patient outcomes and a priority in critical care.
- Hellenic intensive care unit (ICU) nurses frequently report low authority.
- Empirical research on nursing autonomy in Hellenic ICUs is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess perceived contribution to clinical decision-making among Hellenic ICU nurses.
- To determine the level of autonomy in technical tasks for critical care nurses in Hellas.
- To identify factors influencing practice autonomy and develop a validated tool for assessing autonomy.
Main Methods:
- Developed and validated the Hellenic Intensive Care Nursing Autonomy Scale.
- Utilized factor analysis to define autonomy categories: basic technical, advanced technical, and clinical decision.
- Surveyed 807 ICU nurses in Hellas, employing comparisons, correlation, and multivariate regression.
Main Results:
- The developed scale demonstrated good reliability and validity.
- Nurses reported moderate overall autonomy, with higher scores for basic technical tasks than for advanced technical or decision-making.
- Higher education, male gender, ICU experience, and ICU type predicted higher autonomy, particularly in decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Hellenic ICU nurses experience moderate autonomy in technical tasks but limited autonomy in clinical decision-making.
- Educational background, gender, and institutional factors appear to impede nursing autonomy in Hellenic ICUs.