Perceptions of nurse educators in Limpopo Province regarding their empowerment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of nurse educators in Limpopo Province regarding their empowerment. The researcher conducted a quantitative descriptive-correlative research design to describe the perceptions of nurse educators in Limpopo Province regarding their empowerment. Laschinger's Integrated Model of Nurse/Patient Empowerment deduced from Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in organisations and Spreitzer's Psychological Empowerment Theory guided the construction of the data collection instrument. Data collection was carried out using a self-designed structured questionnaire. The population comprised all nurse educators in Nursing Education Institutions in Limpopo Province. The Ethics Committee of the Department of Health in Limpopo Province granted permission to conduct the research in the Limpopo Province. Non-probability convenience sampling was applied to obtain the participant sample for the study. The study shed light on important aspects of nurse educators' perception of their empowerment. The findings demonstrated that nurse educators perceived the concept of empowerment differently. The most incorrect perception of empowerment was that empowerment entailed paternalism rather than democratic (n=73; f=43;58.9%) and that it involved alienation rather than being inclusive, also at 58.9%. The total average scores were of concern to the researcher. The results of respondents' experience of structural empowerment varied as only 0.9%(f=1) did not indicate whether they agreed or disagreed that structural empowerment existed at the NEIs. 40.4% (f=44) indicated/agreed to have experienced psychological empowerment while 57.8% (f=63) have not experienced psychological empowerment. The findings related to association amongst the constructs indicated that gender was not associated with structural empowerment as well as psychological empowerment (p-value less than 0.05). There was no association between the highest qualification and structural empowerment (50.5% (f=55). However, 57% (f=63) agreed that there was an association between the highest qualification and psychological empowerment of respondents. The respondents disagreed that years of teaching experience (50.5% (f=55) was associated with structural empowerment, while 48.6% (f=53) believed it existed. The respondents indicated that no association existed between the campus they were placed at and structural empowerment (50.9% (f=55) while 57.8% (f=62) agreed that the campus placement was associated with structural empowerment as well as being associated with psychological empowerment at 56.5% (f=61). The discipline in which the nurse educators were teaching was not associated with either their structural empowerment (p=843 more than p=0.05) or their psychological empowerment at p=0.955 more than p=0.005). The respondents agreed that the discipline they taught was associated with their psychological empowerment at 55.9% (f=57); however, no statistically significant association existed at p-value 0.665 more than p-value 0.005. As the results indicated, the concept of empowerment yielded various perceptions of nurse educators. The results demonstrated the necessity to develop empowerment programmes for nurse educators at the NEIs.

Maikemišetso a dinyakišiso tše e be e le go hlalosa maikutlo a bafahluši ba baoki mo Profentshing ya Limpopo mabapi le ka fao ba boning matlafatšo ya bona. Go šomišitšwe motheo was hlaloso-kamano go hwetša maikutlo a mafahluši ba baoki. Dinyakišišo di be di ithekgilwe ka kgopolo-kgolo ya Laschinger ya matlafatšo ya balwetši, a e tsere go tšwa kgopolong-kgolo ya Kanter ya matlafatšo mo mešomong le matlafatšo ya megopolo ya go ngwalwa ke Spreitzer. Dikgopolo-kgolo tše di šomišitšwe go aga/dira gore monyakišiši a kgone go hwetša maikutlo a mafahloši ba baoki mo kholetšheng ya baoki. Dinyakišišo tše di itheilwe godimo ga mafahloši ba baoki ka moka mo kholetšheng ya baoki ya profense ya Limpopo. Komiti ya maitshwaro a mabotse mo Lefapheng la Maphelo e file monyakišiši tumelelo ya go dira porotšeke ye. Porotšeke ye e laiditše seemo sa matlafatšo ya mafahluši ba baoki mo porofentsheng ya Limpopo. Dipoelo tša dinyakišišo tše di bontšhitše gore mafahluši ba baoki ma na le maikutlo a a fapaneng mabapi le matlafatšo ya bona. Seo se sa kgotsofatšeng ke gore bafahlušhi ba baoki ba (n=73; f=43;58.9%) ga ba laetša maikutlo a a nyakegang ka gore ba bontšhitše gore matlafatšo mo kholetšeng ya baoki ke kgateleo go na le gore ke temokerasi. Mafahluši ba 58.9% ba rile matlafatšo ke go bea motho thoko bakeng sa go dumela polelo ya maikutlo a lokologilego. Taba ye ke yona e tshwentsego monyakisisi. Dipoelo di bontšhitse gore palo ya bafahlušhi ba baoki e lego 0.9% (f=1) ga se e dumele goba go gana gore go na le matlafatšo mo ba šomago. Mafahluši ba 40.4% (f=44) ba bontshitše gore ba bone gore go na le matlafatšo ba mogopolo mola ba 57.8% (f=63) ba bontšhitše gore gab a ikwa ba matlafaditšwe mogopolong. Dipoelo di bontšha gape gore ga go na kamano magareng ga bong le matlafatšo ya mo mošomong. Gape, ga gona matlafatšo magareng ga go rutega le matlafatšo mo mošomong (50.5% (f=55). Ka go le lengwe, mafahluši ba baoki ba 57% (f=63) ba dumetše gore gona le kamano magareng ga go rutega le mafatšo ya mogopolo. Palo ba bona e lego (50.5% (f=55) e bontšhitše gore gona kamano ya matlafatšo le maitemogelo mola ba (48.6% (f=53) bas a kwane le kgopolo ya gore gona le kamano