Omani Nursing Students Empowerment

Abstract

Objectives: The study aims to determine the psychological and structural empowerment of student nurses from selected nursing university in Oman. Methods: A total of 94 nursing students were recruited by systematic sampling choosing at Sultan Qaboos University. The level of psychological empowerment in terms of meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact structural empowerment of student nurses in terms of access to opportunity, support, information, and resources were investigated with a self-designed questionnaire. Results: The overall mean in the Psychological Empowerment Scale was 37.54 (SD = 8.85, range = 20 – 57). Age, gender, and type of BSN program were associated with the students’ perception on impact, while the perceived competence was associated with the students’ academic level. Age had a small positive correlation with the dimension impact (r = 0.25, p = .016). Female students (M = 3.17, SD = 0.99) had better perceptions of impact compared with male students (M = 2.65, SD = 1.05, t = -2.00, p = .049). Moreover, students in the Bridging program (M = 3.67, SD = 1.03) reported better perceptions on impact compared with students in the regular program (M = 2.97, SD = 0.98, t = -2.44, p = .017). Regarding the dimension competence, 4th-year students (M = 3.10, SD = 0.66) perceived their competence more positively than 3rd-year students (M = 2.61, SD = 0.38, p = .002). Age had a small positive correlation with the dimensions of informal power (r = 0.21, p = .042). Students in the bridging program reported better perception of the dimensions resources (t = -2.17, p = .033), and support (t = -2.17, p = .033) than students in the regular BSN program. A borderline significance was found on the dimension informal power, where bridging program students reported better perceptions than regular BSN students (t = -1.94, p = .056). Finally, 2nd year BSN students reported higher perceived support compared with students in the 4th year (p = .038). Conclusions: This study is an eye-opener to areas in the school of nursing that have been neglected and underdeveloped for the effective performance of nurses, particularly with the issue of empowerment. This study was able to show that, it is paramount for nursing to understand the principles of empowerment. It was also able to express the need for nurses to have the liberty to exercise their authority in decision making. Rather than neglecting or seeing the nurses as incompetent, proper training, exposure, information and education should be given. A reasonable task should be assigned, and some level of power delegated, to give them a sense of belonging. It is clear from this study that age is immaterial in relationship to experience. The more experienced individual should be assigned to appropriate duties, irrespective of age. Fairness and equity should be given to all professionals without marginalization. This will promote good, effective, and competent staff in the hospital and also minimize casualties in the long run.