An exploration of empowerment amongst final-year undergraduate nursing students while on clinical placement in Ireland using Social Domain Theory

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that enhance empowerment development during the clinical placement of final-year undergraduate nursing students in Ireland. Background: Empowerment is a topical concept... [ view full abstract ]

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that enhance empowerment development during the clinical placement of final-year undergraduate nursing students in Ireland.
Background: Empowerment is a topical concept used not only in health care but also in business and education. However, few studies have looked at the impact of clinical placements on the empowerment of undergraduate nursing students.
Methods: A qualitative design was employed using Layder’s adaptive and social domain theories. Ethical approval for the study was sought and obtained. Focus group interviews were conducted with 43 (n=43) undergraduate nursing students in one college providing nursing education in Ireland.
Findings: Empowerment in this study was associated with positive preceptorship, a culture of support, and reinforced the importance of socialisation in the nursing students’ experience of clinical placements. Empowerment was experienced when nursing students experienced an approach to nursing care where power was associated with care and not with position. In these environments and cultures empowerment flourished. The findings suggested that preceptors were pivotal to nursing student empowerment. When preceptors were empowered in the clinical learning environment they radiated affirmative influences that in turn positively influenced nursing student empowerment. In addition the concepts of inclusion, belonging, trust and respect were also factors in creating a supportive culture to nurture nursing students’ empowerment. Disempowerment occurred in ward areas that reflected a hierarchical culture that lacked in respect and where nursing student socialisation was inhibited by feelings of powerlessness.
Conclusions and Implications: The influence of culture, preceptors, socialisation process and the power/powerlessness experienced by the nursing students in the study were key to whether they felt empowered or disempowered in clinical practice. Knowledge and acknowledgement of these factors can bring about changes in how nursing students experience clinical placement.