By the end of the study, most students felt more empowered than they had at the beginning. They attributed this to increased knowledge and confidence. Empowerment of nursing students in clinical practice can be represented in the form of 'spheres of influence'. Intrinsic, essential structures of having knowledge and confidence are at the core. External spheres influence the extent to which nursing students are likely to experience increased knowledge and confidence, and thus empowerment. However, nursing students use a number of strategies to promote their own empowerment in clinical practice.