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Abstract:
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The purposes of this cross -sectional and internet mixed methods study were : (a ) to explore the level of structural empowerment (SEP ) , psychological empowerment (PE ) , participation in decision making (PDM ) , their relationships , and their predictors among Taiwanese nurses , and (b ) to explore the influence of contextual factors (culture and gender ) on the nurses’ perception on their work environment and PDM based on the feminist perspective and Laschinger’s expanded empowerment model . This study included an Internet questionnaire survey (quantitative ) and a Web -based online forum (qualitative ) . A convenient sample of 163 Taiwanese registered nurses (a ) who are currently working full time in health care institutions for at least 3 months , (b ) can read and write Chinese on the computer , and (c ) have access to the Internet was recruited and completed the internet survey . Among them , 20 completed the online forum discussion topics . The findings of the internet survey indicated that participants had moderate level of SEP , high -moderate level of PE and low level of PDM . Personal characteristics , such as age , education , and work experience , did not significantly correlate to Taiwanese nurses’ empowerment . However , the work structures , such as workload , types of hospitals , and work units , were significantly related to Taiwanese nurses’ empowerment and PDM . PE was a mediator between SEP and PDM , which indicated that with increased access to workplace empowerment structures , nurses perceived better personal empowerment , which in turn increased nurses’ PDM . In the online forum , two themes were discovered : (a ) foot -binding unto nursing and (b ) not open up . The first theme indicated that certain stereotypes regarding gender roles in Taiwanese society were restraints to the growth of nursing . Due to the stereotypes , nurses were located in the lower social status and developed powerless behaviors . The second theme indicated that communication among nurses was not sufficient , which might stem from the influence of Confucianism , collectivism , and power distance . The findings in this study extend our understanding of the empowerment and PDM among Taiwanese nurses within the context of gender and culture . |