Empowerment Predicting Nurses’ Work Motivation and Occupational Mental Health

INTRODUCTION: Empowering nurses is essential for improving work outcomes, and understanding the role of structural and psychological empowerment in supporting nurses’ work motivation and occupational mental health are essential to stimulate nurses’ productivity and preserve their mental health. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate nurses’ perspectives about the levels of structural and psychological empowerment in their working areas. Additionally, to evaluate nurses’ motivation and occupational mental health, and to predict the nurses’ motivation and occupational mental health through structural and psychological empowerment. METHODS: A descriptive correlational design and quota sampling were used. Two hundred registered nurses were recruited from two hospitals in Jordan. Data were collected using four valid and reliable self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Nurses who participated in this study were young and have an average total experience in nursing of fewer than 10 years. Nurses in this study reported a moderate level of structure empowerment and a low level of psychological empowerment. Significant positive relationships were documented between both structural, psychological empowerment, and nurses’ work motivation (r = 0.85), (r = 0.83) respectively. A significant negative relationship found between both structural, psychological empowerment, and nurses’ occupational mental health (r = −0.31), (r = −0.29) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of nurses’ work motivation and occupational mental health can be predicted through the levels of structural and psychological empowerment. The higher workplace empowerment was associated with increased work motivation, as well as reduced the feeling of occupational stress among nurses. Thus, administrators should invest in fostering structural and psychological empowerment in the work environment.