Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Nursing

Advisor

Leslie Hussey

Abstract

There is a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) who work in the specialty of psychiatric nursing. Attrition among psychiatric RNs is partly due to lack of leadership empowerment which includes autonomy and access to professional development opportunities. The purposes of this study, guided by Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, were to determine (a) if there was a relationship between leadership empowerment behavior and psychiatric RNs’ intent to leave within the first 2 years of practice in inpatient psychiatric settings and (b) if there was a relationship between leadership empowerment behavior and intent to leave among psychiatric registered nurses who are in their first 2 years of practice based on RN demographics. The key variables were measured with the Leader Empowering Behavior Questionnaire and the Turnover Intention Scale. The study participants included 111 psychiatric RNs in their first 2 years of practice who were recruited via social media. Using analysis of covariance, results showed an inverse relationship between leadership empowerment behavior and intent to leave. The RN demographic characteristics did not affect the relationship. The study findings could affect positive social change by creating awareness for psychiatric nurse leaders to develop empowerment behavior as a strategy to mitigate new psychiatric RN turnover so that they can stay in practice and positively impact therapeutic and quality patient care delivery. Future studies using mixed methods and a larger sample size would be helpful to obtain an in-depth understanding of the role of leadership empowerment behavior on psychiatric RN retention from the RN’s perspective.

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