Structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and burnout in registered staff nurses working in outpatient dialysis centers

This research examined the relationships among structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and burnout in a sample of staff nurses working in chronic hemodialysis units. The study examined relationships between the independent variable, structural empowerment and the dependent variable burnout, as well as exploring the relationship between psychological empowerment and burnout and between the two independent variables structural empowerment and psychological empowerment. A mediation model was tested to explain the relationship between structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and burnout.A correlational research design was used. A convenience sample of 233 staff nurses between the ages of 24 and 68 was attained from a national organization of nephrology nurses. A self-administered, paper and pencil, mailed survey was used to collect data using four instruments: (a) Demographic data, (b) The Maslach-Burnout Inventory-Emotional Exhaustion Subscale, (c) The Psychological Empowerment Scale, and (d) The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.Statistically significant negative correlations were found between structural empowerment and burnout (r=-.44, p<.01) and psychological empowerment and burnout (r=-.34, p<.01). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between structural empowerment and psychological empowerment (r =-.59, p<.01). In addition, multiple regression analysis was used to test a mediation model. Results indicated that structural empowerment was an independent predictor of burnout in this sample however, psychological empowerment was not an independent predictor of burnout and did not mediate the relationship between structural empowerment and burnout.The testing of the theorized relationships has added to the knowledge base for antecedents to burnout in nurses working in chronic dialysis settings. Since psychological empowerment was found to be a homogeneous characteristic in this sample, it would be prudent to replicate this study in a multi-site sample of nurses who are both members and non member of a professional organization.