Psychological empowerment
Psychological empowerment has been correlated with
numerous positive organizational outcomes. In nursing
specifically, Larrabee et al. (2003) found psychological
empowerment to be the primary predictor of job satisfaction
among nurses (b = 0.50, P < 0.001). Laschinger
et al.s (2001b) study (n = 404) revealed similar outcomes, where structural empowerment had a direct
effect on psychological empowerment (b = 0.85), which
in turn had a direct effect on job satisfaction (b = 0.79)
and a direct negative effect on job strain (b = )0.57).
In terms of organizational commitment, Laschinger
et al.s (2009a) study of acute care nurses (n = 3156)
revealed unit-level leader-member exchange quality
to have a significant direct effect on unit-level structural
empowerment (b = 0.29), which in turn had a
direct effect on individual nurses psychological
empowerment (b = 0.67) and commitment (b = 0.39).
Support for a relationship between psychological
empowerment and organizational commitment has also
been found in the long-term care nursing literature
(DeCicco et al. 2006).
Findings from these studies are consistent with Laschinger
et al.s (2001b) integrated model of workplace
empowerment in the general nursing population. We
could find no published studies of newly-graduated
nurses experiences of psychological empowerment