Nursing Student Perceptions of Structural Empowerment.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Effective nursing practice requires nurses to feel empowered.
• Faculty significantly influence the learning environment for nursing students.
• Student empowerment is linked to meeting professional role expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nursing students' perceptions of empowerment within their educational learning environment.
• To understand the degree of structural empowerment experienced by nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive analysis was employed.
• Kanter's Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire was adapted for use.
• Surveys were completed by 203 nursing students across 17 states.

Main Results:

• Nursing students reported moderate levels of structural empowerment in their learning environments.
• The findings indicate a baseline of perceived empowerment among students.

Conclusions:

• Moderate structural empowerment in the learning environment is a positive finding for nursing education.
• Further investigation can leverage these perceptions to enhance the preparation of future nurses.
• Strengthening student empowerment is key to meeting nursing role expectations.