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Irish nurses’ and midwives’ understanding and experiences of empowerment
Author(s) -
CORBALLY MELISSA ANN,
ANNE SCOTT P.,
MATTHEWS ANNE,
GABHANN LIAM MAC,
MURPHY CATRIONA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of nursing management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1365-2834
pISSN - 0966-0429
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2007.00626.x
Subject(s) - empowerment , meaning (existential) , irish , nursing , psychology , sociology , medicine , political science , linguistics , philosophy , law , psychotherapist
Aim This study explored conceptualizations of empowerment among Irish nurses and midwives. Background Current literature on the meaning of empowerment lacks consensus. As a result there is a likelihood that empowerment will be conceptualized differently between managers and subordinates. Method In order to get a sense of how Irish practitioners viewed empowerment, 10 focus groups were held in locations throughout Ireland ( n = 93). A national distribution of participants was obtained. Results Twenty‐one different responses emerged representing what nurses and midwives understood by the term empowerment. In relation to experiences of empowerment, six themes were found to impact on empowerment experiences. Three themes emerged as central to empowerment. One theme (education for practice) was identified as an antecedent to empowerment. Conclusion Empowerment is a complex concept and its meaning is contextually determined. Managers play a key role in impacting on the empowerment perceptions of Irish nurses and midwives.