Other Titles
The Relationship Among Nurses’ Perception of Shared Governance, Psychological Empowerment, and Turnover Intention in Acute Care Hospitals [Title Slide]
Abstract
Background: A major challenge in healthcare is the significant shortage of experienced nurses. Although evidence shows that shared governance (SG) is a key strategy for retaining nurses, gaps remain in understanding its relationship and predictive pathways to psychological empowerment (PE) and turnover intention (TI).
Purpose: The study explored the relationships and predictive pathways among nurses' perceptions of SG, PE, and TI in acute care hospitals. It also aimed to compare how nurse leaders (NLs) and clinical nurses (CNs) perceive these factors, and to examine the influence of their socio-demographic characteristics on these perceptions.
Method: The study employed a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design. The sample included CNs and NLs from two acute care hospitals. Data were collected from October 2024 to February 2025. Three validated and reliable tools were distributed electronically via Survey Monkey. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative results were analyzed using content and thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 313 nurses completed the surveys, exceeding the calculated sample size of 307. The findings indicated that nurses viewed SG as a collaborative decision-making process between NLs and CNs. The nurses reported a strong sense of PE and low TI. A one-way ANOVA revealed several statistically significant differences: perceptions of SG varied by educational level, while perceptions of PE differed by age and years of experience as an RN. TI showed substantial correlations (p < .001) with SG (r = -.31) and PE (r = -.38). The structural equations model fit the data well, with SG and PE accounting for 24% of the variance in TI. The qualitative data findings suggest that the majority of respondents perceived that SG promotes nursing excellence, supports professional development, and enhances staff retention.
Conclusion: Nurses’ perceptions of SG influence their TI, and PE partially mediates this relationship. Therefore, healthcare organizations should promote SG principles at all nursing levels. Leaders must ensure that organizational infrastructure supports genuine SG, enhances PE, and boosts retention. Results show that nurses value open communication, ongoing professional development opportunities, and participation in shared decision-making. Future research should focus on interventions that promote SG, its sustainability, and long-term effects on both nurse and patient outcomes.
Notes
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Sigma Membership
Alpha Alpha Chi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Global Leadership, Workforce, Acute Care, Shared Governance, Employee Participation in Management, Nursing Shortage, Nursing Supply & Demand, Labor Turnover
Recommended Citation
Aquino-Maneja, Emma Maniago; Leach, Linda Searle; Li, Hong; and McGinnis, Juli, "The Nurses’ Perceptions of Shared Governance, Psychological Empowerment, and Turnover Intention" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 177.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/177
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-20
The Nurses’ Perceptions of Shared Governance, Psychological Empowerment, and Turnover Intention
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: A major challenge in healthcare is the significant shortage of experienced nurses. Although evidence shows that shared governance (SG) is a key strategy for retaining nurses, gaps remain in understanding its relationship and predictive pathways to psychological empowerment (PE) and turnover intention (TI).
Purpose: The study explored the relationships and predictive pathways among nurses' perceptions of SG, PE, and TI in acute care hospitals. It also aimed to compare how nurse leaders (NLs) and clinical nurses (CNs) perceive these factors, and to examine the influence of their socio-demographic characteristics on these perceptions.
Method: The study employed a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design. The sample included CNs and NLs from two acute care hospitals. Data were collected from October 2024 to February 2025. Three validated and reliable tools were distributed electronically via Survey Monkey. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative results were analyzed using content and thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 313 nurses completed the surveys, exceeding the calculated sample size of 307. The findings indicated that nurses viewed SG as a collaborative decision-making process between NLs and CNs. The nurses reported a strong sense of PE and low TI. A one-way ANOVA revealed several statistically significant differences: perceptions of SG varied by educational level, while perceptions of PE differed by age and years of experience as an RN. TI showed substantial correlations (p < .001) with SG (r = -.31) and PE (r = -.38). The structural equations model fit the data well, with SG and PE accounting for 24% of the variance in TI. The qualitative data findings suggest that the majority of respondents perceived that SG promotes nursing excellence, supports professional development, and enhances staff retention.
Conclusion: Nurses’ perceptions of SG influence their TI, and PE partially mediates this relationship. Therefore, healthcare organizations should promote SG principles at all nursing levels. Leaders must ensure that organizational infrastructure supports genuine SG, enhances PE, and boosts retention. Results show that nurses value open communication, ongoing professional development opportunities, and participation in shared decision-making. Future research should focus on interventions that promote SG, its sustainability, and long-term effects on both nurse and patient outcomes.
Description
The study examined the relationships among nurses' perceptions of shared governance, psychological empowerment, and turnover in acute care hospitals. Nurses' shared governance perceptions account for 24% of the variation in turnover intentions, with psychological empowerment partially mediating this relationship. Most qualitative findings indicate that shared governance promotes nursing excellence, professional development, and staff retention.