Our Nurses-Our Future: Investing in Nurses Empowerment for Enhancing the Nursing Workforce

Angel Roselin S

Deputy Nursing superintendent, Kauvery Hospital Tirunelveli

Abstract:

The 2025 International nurse’s day Theme – “Our Nurses, Our future”. Caring for nurses strengthens economics” Highlights the nurses’ wellbeing urgent need to protect nurse’s wellbeing. Investing in nurses for enhancing health systems by empowering the nursing workplace. This article explores the role of nurses, nursing leaders, the challenges they face and the economics & clinical case for investing in mental health support, safe staffing, support system, leadership and career development to sustain nursing health care system. This article will walk us through the empowerment among nurses which is essential for the delivery of high-quality patient care and achieving positive outcomes, including increased job satisfaction, reduced burnout, and enhanced professional engagement.

Introduction:

On the 12th May each year, International Nurses Day celebrates the contributions of nurse to global health. This year’s theme focuses on the importance of nurses well-being & highlights how supporting theme benefits healthcare system & the wider economy. The Theme emphasizes the need of healthcare systems to care for nurses to impact the quality of patient care.

Empowering The Nurses Workplace – Our Nurses, Our future

Global care emphasizes central role of nurses in shaping the future of healthcare & society. Theme underscores the critical role of a healthy nursing workplace strengthening economics, improving health systems & ensuring better outcome. It also highlights the crucial moment to promote nurses’ health & wellness.

Goals & Objectives of Nurse’s Day:

  • To emphasize how important it is to strengthen economies and health systems by promoting nurse’s well-being
  • To promote contribution of nurses for physical, mental and occupational safety.
  • To encourage nurses for the work-life balance and burn-out and lack of work force and encourage them to give ideas on helping them.
  • To honor and acknowledge nurses’ commitment, hard work and public health around the globe.
  • To ensure a sustainable future in healthcare
  • To encourage government, organizations, and society to respect, value and protect nursing force.

Nurses Empowerment Model

Empowerment Definition:

Empowerment is defined as situations and working environments that enable employees to increase their motivation toward their jobs, roles, and responsibilities and their willingness to act by using their expert power in line with organizational values. Empowerment in nursing is defined as enhancing the quality of patient care through the improvement of job satisfaction and productivity, achieved by the allocation of organizational resources and support. Empowerment of nurses can be achieved by developing the professional identities of nursing students starting from the education and training process.

Empowerment Significance Among Working Nurses:

Empowerment of nurses can be achieved by developing the professional identities of nursing students starting from the education and training process. For this reason, some educational institutions adopt an integrated education system in which theoretical and practical education is given in coordination to empower nursing students and include high-tech simulation and virtual reality practices and critical thinking, stress and time management, leadership, ethics, and effective communication in their curriculum to improve students’ professional skills. Today, not every institution may have sufficient physical structure and vision to empower nursing students.

Research conducted by Smith et al to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among behavioral health nurses stated that the factors that enhance nurses’ perceptions of empowerment, particularly related to issues of retention and anticipated turnover among behavioral health nurses. Most participants in this study perceived themselves as moderately empowered, there was a significant negative correlation between empowerment and anticipated turnover. Findings suggest that empowered health professionals may experience less emotional exhaustion. In contrast, disempowered employees experience greater levels of emotional exhaustion. Statistically significant positive correlation was also indicated between work empowerment and personal accomplishment. Although there has been much recent research on nurse empowerment, the link between nurse empowerment and intent to leave nursing has not been thoroughly investigated. Promoting empowerment among healthcare workers may decrease burnout and promote organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). Decision-making that is staff driven is a strong pointer of excellence. Excellence in nursing application can only be reached and stay persistent if nurses have inspiration that leads to satisfaction and excellence.

A study entitled ‘Empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment: a comparative analysis of nurses working in Malaysia and England’ revealed that although the Malaysian nurses felt more empowered and committed to their organization, the England nurses were more satisfied with their job. The differences between these two groups of nurses show that empowerment does not generate the same results in all countries, and there is difference in the outcomes of empowerment between nurses in different countries.

The model of empowerment

Professional empowerment is a dynamic process, which occurs through interaction at the personal, professional, cultural, and organizational levels. Based on this review paper, the following nursing empowerment model is diagrammed in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

There are three components of empowerment, namely: (a) a workplace with a structured plan that promotes empowerment, (b) psychological empowerment, (c) empowerment from a relationship and caring from nurse provision.3 When these three components are fully realized, nurses can be empowered and can use it to improve patient car e. A study on the perception of nurse leaders on empowerment identified factors with which it can be achieved, namely: the opportunity for higher education, formulation of improved competencies on leadership, and knowledge of power and politics of the organization. The study confirmed that empowerment is essential in upgrading the image and condition of the nursing profession. As nurses, empowerment can be achieved through their professional practice. They are also empowered through their ability to make decisions, become an advocate for patients, participate in governance, take part in committees, and take responsibility and accountability that is inherent to nursing practice.

Theory of Structural Empowerment

Organizations need to promote empowerment to become successful. Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s theory deals with organizational behavior and empowerment. She states that empowerment is supported by a work environment that encourages access to information, resources, support, and opens doors for learning and development. These provisions, according to Kanter, will help professional growth and organizational success. Several studies have already confirmed the utility of Kanter’s theory in nursing practice, indicating how structures placed in an organization can empower nurses in achieving their tasks in a valuable way. The following is the summary of Kanter’s theory: (a) power is derived from formal and informal power, (b) employees need to have access to resources to accomplish organizational goals, and (c) improved skills and knowledge lead to productivity. The theory also established association with different organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction and lower levels of burnout and job strain.

Conclusions:

Empowerment is a multifaceted concept that is widely recognized across various disciplines. In the context of nursing, empowerment plays a critical role in shaping both professional practice and patient outcomes. This paper explores the definition of empowerment and its significance within the nursing profession. Empowering nurses leads to numerous positive outcomes. It enhances job satisfaction, reduces burn out and strengthens decision-making abilities. Empowered nurses are more likely to feel trusted, respected and treated fairly, which in turn boosts their job performance and commitment to their roles. Additionally, empowerment helps to reduce work-related stress and contributes to a safer clinical environment. Collectively, these benefits not only support the nurse’s well-being but also improve the overall quality of patient care.

References

1.International council of nurses https://www.icn.ch/how-we-do-it/campaigns/international-nurses-day

2.Int.J.Productivity and Quality management Vol.19.,No.2 2026 “Work-realted empowerment among nurses: Literature review.

3.AbuAlRU(2004)”Job stress performance and social support among hospital nurses’ Journal Nursing Scholarship. Vol.36 pp 173-178.

4.Armellino D., Quino.M.Y and Fizpatrick, J.J (2011) .”Shared governance and empowerment in registered nurses working in a hospital setting’. Nurs.Admin.Q., Vol.35, No 3.PP.212-218.

5.Perm.J (2011) ‘Nurses empowerment from a middle-management perspective nurse managers’ and assistant nurse managers and assistant nurse managers’ workplace empowerment views’. The permanent journal, Vol 15 No 1,ppe101-e107.

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