Nurse empowerment from a middle-management perspective: nurse managers' and assistant nurse managers' workplace empowerment views.

BACKGROUND Researchers have explored empowerment as an important condition for nursing staff but little current research focuses on empowerment from a middle-management perspective. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the empowerment of a middle-management group made up of only nurse managers (NMs) and assistant nurse managers (ANMs) in an acute-care hospital setting. METHODS A questionnaire was distributed online to a convenience sample of NMs (n = 11) and ANMs (n = 31) working in an ethnically diverse acute-care hospital. RESULTS Overall, this middle-management group did not feel empowered. CONCLUSIONS Empowerment as perceived by middle management is crucial for carrying out leadership duties and, in turn, empowering frontline staff. Even though the work is challenging, resources and support, among other constructs of empowerment, must be improved to increase the empowerment of middle management. Nursing administration must understand the importance of an empowered middle management so that middle management can lead effectively and facilitate the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care.