Hopkinson SG, Glaser D, Napier C, Trego LL. Developing an instrument to assess empowering nurse leader communication behaviours.
J Nurs Manag 2021;
29:2037-2046. [PMID:
33851457 DOI:
10.1111/jonm.13340]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM
The overall purpose of the study was to develop an instrument to assess empowering nurse leader communication behaviours.
BACKGROUND
Effective communication by nurse leaders promotes empowerment, yet communication assessments are often broad in nature without specifying precise behaviours.
METHODS
An instrument development process was used to identify empowering nurse leader communication behaviours. Nurses working in United States military health care facilities (n = 240) provided responses to 47 pilot items, along with a 12-item psychological empowerment instrument to test for concurrent criterion validity.
RESULTS
After review of item performance, 12 items were deleted. An exploratory factor analysis supported either a 2- or 3-factor model, with confirmatory factor analyses conducted to validate the underlying latent variables of empowering and limiting behaviours. The final nurse leader communication assessment consists of 2 factors consisting of 20 positive items (empowering subscale) and 15 negative items (limiting subscale).
CONCLUSION
The final 2-factor assessment supports the theoretical premise of the empowering and limiting behaviours. Further testing may provide further dimensional clarity.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
Use of the assessment can provide a basis for the development of training for individual nurse leaders or for facility nurse leaders as a collective.
Collapse