Exploring Barriers to Promotion of Professional Empowerment from the Perspectives of Nurses working in Surgical Ward of Kashan Shahid Beheshti hospital: A Qualitative Study

Nurses in surgical wards frequently need to make prompt decisions for critically-ill patients. Therefore, they need to be professionally empowered to make sound decisions and provide quality care. This study aimed to explore barriers to the promotion of nurses’ professional empowerment from the Perspectives of Nurses working in Surgical Ward of Kashan Shahid-Beheshti hospital. In this exploratory-descriptive qualitative study, 15 nurses working in the surgical ward, Kashan University of Medical Sciences Hospital, Iran were selected by purposeful sampling with maximum variability. Data were collected through fifteen in-depth semi-structured interviews from December to February 2018. The data were analyzed via conventional content analyses. Data analysis led to the identification of the main theme as "imposed and learned powerlessness." Participants in this study identified imposed and learned powerlessness as an important challenge in achieving professional empowerment. This main theme consists of the three main categories of low professional competence, lack of professional support, and shortage of resources. Surgical nurses in Iran are confronted with numerous challenges in achieving professional empowerment. Therefore, the professional empowerment of nurses in the surgical department should be enhanced by providing opportunities for achieving clinical knowledge and skills. Considering the role of nurses as an effective indicator on the quality of patient care and safety, the need for powerful professional organizations to professional support of nurses, nurses' recognition, and full description of the nursing realms and the clarification of job tasks is necessary.