Evaluation of professional autonomy and the association with individual factors among nurses in the Southeast of Iran

Background and Professional autonomy in nursing is defined as working in a self determined environment and making decisions based on professional judgment. This study aimed to evaluate professional autonomy and its association with individual factors in nurses employed at teaching hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences in the southeast of Iran in 2013. This was a descriptive analytical study, and required data were collected by quota sampling using self-administered questionnaires, which were completed by 385 nurses at four teaching hospitals in Kerman, Iran. Data analysis was performed using inferential (ANOVA) and descriptive statistics (mean and frequency) in SPSS V.18. In this study, a significant correlation was observed between professional autonomy and age (P>0.001), gender (P=0.04), work experience (P>0.03), education level (P>0.02) and attitude of nurses. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the mean scores of professional autonomy and nursing experience (r=0.559). According to the results of this study, general attitude of nurses towards professional autonomy was relatively positive. In addition, professional autonomy was observed to increase with higher education level and job satisfaction. Hierarchical team decisionmaking may restrict professional autonomy in nurses. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing skills and professional autonomy of nurses be improved through appropriate methods.