Nursing empowerment and job satisfaction: an integrative review according the Structural Theory

Abstract

Context: Power is a central concept in professional development and one of the characteristics of the decision-making process, together with the use of a unique body of knowledge. Through the process of Empowerment, the professional is able to influence others, being considered a key aspect in contemporary organisations. Objectives: To study the relationship between Empowerment and Job Satisfaction, in a first analysis, from a structural perspective. Methodology: An integrative literature review was conducted of articles published in MEDLINE and CINAHL databases between 2005 and 2011, according to the PICOD methodology. Results: Twenty-two articles from different contexts were identified, of which most of them were conducted in America (64%) and Asia (32%). Conclusion: Despite this diversity, a clear and directly proportional association between Empowerment and Job Satisfaction was found. The perception of Empowerment is influenced by age, context of professional performance, and academic and professional qualifications. Our search retrieved no studies conducted in Portugal, thus it is important to further explore this issue.. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]