The Relation among Shared Governance, Empowerment and Job Involvement as Perceived by Medical-Surgical Nursing Staff

Abstract

Context: In recent days, organizations have continuously concentrated on applying human resource management practices to improve nursing performance, productivity, quality of care. Therefore, it is essential for nursing staff in health organizations to implement several management practices and techniques such as shared governance, empowerment, and job involvement training, performance appraisal, compensation, career advancement, and team working involvement.

Aim: Assess the relation among shared governance, empowerment, and job involvement as perceived by medical-surgical nursing staff. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used for carrying out this study. The current study was conducted in all medical-surgical departments and operating rooms at Benha University Hospitals, Qaliobia Governorate, Egypt. The convenient sample consisted of 250 staff nurses and 100 nursing management staff. Three tools were used to collect data: Index Professional Nursing Governance Questionnaire (IPNG), Nursing Staff Empowerment Questionnaire, and Job Involvement Questionnaire.

Result: The present study was revealed that the highest mean percent (50.93% & 53%) of nursing staff were related to official authority, while the lowest mean percent (43.91% & 47.33%) of them were related to the ability to set goals and conflict resolution of shared governance. The highest mean percent (83.42% & 85.04%) of nursing staff were related to resources and supplies, while the lowest mean percent (82.7% & 80.28%) of nursing management staff and staff nurses were related to support in work and nurses' information respectively. Besides, the highest mean percent (79.82% & 81.77%) of nursing staff were related to emotional job involvement, while the lowest mean percent (72.94% & 79.61%) were related to behavioral job involvement.

Conclusion: The present study concluded that the nursing staff reported a high level of perception regarding shared governance, empowerment, and job involvement. Also, staff nurses had higher mean scores than nursing management staff regarding shared governance model and job involvement, while the nursing management staff had higher mean scores than staff nurses related to all dimensions of nurses' empowerment except resources and supplies. Besides, there was a statistically significant positive correlation among shared governance, nurses' empowerment, and job involvement for nursing staff. Also, it was evident that when shared governance increased, this enhances nurses' empowerment and improves job involvement among nursing. The study recommended creating a supportive work environment, keeping open lines of communication through a periodical staff meeting, seeking opinion, and treating them with respect also for nursing management staff should be trained about empowerment, and shared governance models that reflected on developing nurses' involvement and skills to help them to be mastering in doing tasks effectively and efficiently. Further research study needs to be conducted on the effect of an educational training program about shared governance, empowerment, and job involvement on nurses' outcomes and organizational progress.