Nurses’ psychological empowerment: An integrative approach

Aim: To investigate the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between authentic leadership and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB), tardiness, absenteeism and intent to leave. Background: Despite the extensive literature on predictors and outcomes of psychological empowerment, there is a lack of studies on the nursing profession using an integrative model, simultaneously focusing on the effects of authentic leadership and psychological empowerment on OCB, and time-related misbehaviours. Method: Data were collected from 172 nurses in 28 Israeli public hospitals from questionnaires, and tardiness and absenteeism records. We tested our model using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: Nurses’ perceptions of their head nurses as authentic leaders positively predicted psychological empowerment, while psychological empowerment positively predicted their OCB, tardiness and intent to leave the hospital. Psychological empowerment partially mediates the relationship between the nurses’ perceptions of their head nurses as authentic leaders and OCB, tardiness and intent to leave the hospital. Conclusions: Nurses' psychological empowerment and their head nurses' authentic leadership may increase the nurses' OCB, while simultaneously holding opposing behaviours. Implications for Nursing Management: Nursing management should use the study measures to evaluate factors that can affect their nurses' effectiveness, including developing training programs to increase nurses' OCB.