Structural and psychological empowerment and burnout among nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

AimThis study aims to review available evidence about the relationship between structural and psychological empowerment and burnout among nurses. BackgroundNurses are key healthcare providers, who experience higher levels of burnout due to uncertainty and role conflicts about nursing roles and responsibilities and poor management. Nurse empowerment is an effective approach to reduce nurse burnout and enhance patient care quality. IntroductionPositive working conditions along with positive attitudes and perceptions for nurses are crucial in the workplace. Nurse empowerment in the workplace results in quality improvements in work life and the provision of healthcare. MethodWe conducted a systematic review in accordance with the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the PRISMA guideline. Relevant studies published between 2007 and 2022 were identified via PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE (R), Science Direct and Turkish scientific literature databases. Studies that reported correlation coefficients were pooled to conduct a meta-analysis. ResultsRandom-effects meta-analyses showed a negative association between structural and psychological empowerment and emotional exhaustion. The overall findings showed a moderate and negative association between the six dimensions of structural empowerment and depersonalization. There was a positive association between structural empowerment and personal accomplishment. DiscussionThere is a relationship between decreased burnout levels and nurse empowerment. The causal relationship between empowerment and burnout levels needs to be investigated in various healthcare settings in several countries. ConclusionThe relationship between structural and psychological empowerment and burnout levels emphasizes that empowerment can reduce nurse burnout. Nurse empowerment is a critical management strategy for improving the quality of life for nurses, increasing the quality and effectiveness of patient care and achieving positive outcomes. Implications for nursing and health policyThe encouragement and empowerment of nurses for prompt decision-making and effective resource utilization, reduces nurse burnout, enhancing nurses' job commitment, productivity, satisfaction and competence along with increased quality of care. The encouragement of nurses as empowered managers at the macro, meso and institutional levels not only improves the overall quality of health services but also helps to find solutions for the issues concerning healthcare service users and the health system environment.