Workplace empowerment, job satisfaction and job stress among Italian mental health nurses: an exploratory study

Aim The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between staff nurses' structural empowerment, work stress and job satisfaction in two health care settings in Italy using Kanter's Empowerment Theory. Background With the current scarcity of economic resources and shortage of nurses, it is essential to empower nurses to perform at a high level to ensure high-quality patient care. Structural empowerment is a process that can optimize use of nursing skills and professional expertise, thereby increasing job satisfaction among nurses. Method A convenience sample of 77 nursing staff employed in the Department of Mental Health in central Italy was used in this study (return rate 64%). Results Structural empowerment was significantly related to their job satisfaction (r = 0.506, P < 0.001), as was global empowerment (r = 0.62). Empowerment also had a significant negative relationship to nurses' work stress (r =-0.28, P < 0.05). Conclusion The results of this study support Kanter's theory of structural empowerment in an Italian nursing sample - a previously unstudied population. Implications for nursing management Organizational administration must make every effort to create organizational structures and systems that empower nurses to practice according to professional standards and optimize the use of their knowledge and expertise.