The influence of empowerment and discourtesy on burnout and nurse retention

Engaging work environments are important to creating quality care and in influencing the work environment. Empowerment and a positive work environment will decrease staff burnout and turnover. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of empowering work environments and workplace discourtesy on nurses’ experience of burnout and nursing retention. This is a replication of Spence Laschinger, Leiter, Day, and Gilin’s study (2009). The theoretical framework is Kanter’s Structural Theory (1977). A random sample will include 1000 licensed registered staff nurses working in IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. The CWEQ-II will measure four workplace empowerment structures: opportunity, information, support, and resources. The Workplace Incivility Scale will measure nurses’ experience of work place discourtesy. The Emotional Exhaustion and Cynicism subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey will measure burnout. Job satisfaction will be measured by rating level of satisfaction with coworkers, supervisors, pay and benefits, feelings of accomplishment from their job, and overall satisfaction. The findings will provide information for nurse managers about empowering, positive work environments and nurse burnout and retention.School of NursingThesis (M.S.