PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AMONG NURSES OF INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN URMIA TEACHING HOSPITALS IN 2022

Autonomy is an important and necessary factor in nursing. Autonomy in the work environment can affect various factors, including nurses' retention and commitment to the job. The present study aimed to determine the professional autonomy and its relationship with the organizational commitment of nurses working in the critical care units of Urmia educational hospitals.

This descriptive and cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on 385 nurses working in intensive care units in 2022-2023. Sampling was done by quota method, and data collection was done using demographic questionnaires, Varjus professional autonomy scale, and Porter's organizational commitment questionnaire. Independent t-test and ANOVA were used to examine the relationship between demographic variables and the components of this research, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationship between professional autonomy and organizational commitment.

Based on the mean and standard deviation of nurses' professional autonomy (63.57±16.62) and organizational commitment (61.12±12.34), the nurses' professional autonomy and organizational commitment in the intensive care unit were moderate. A significant positive relationship was observed between professional autonomy and organizational commitment (p < 0.05).

By promoting nurses' professional autonomy, their organizational commitment can be improved, increasing the quality of care. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt appropriate strategies and necessary policies to improve nurses' professional autonomy.