Medical Error Prevalence, Nursing Power, and Structural Empowerment: A Serial Mediation Analysis.

Aim: To investigate how structural empowerment and power may contribute to and predict the reduction of medical errors. Background: Medical errors threaten patient well-being, leading to adverse outcomes. Improving work conditions holds promise for reducing medical errors among nurses. Methods: A multisite correlational cross-sectional design was utilized. Data were completed by 375 nurses from four hospitals in Jordan. Data collection occurred between September and November 2023 using sociodemographic, structural empowerment, and medical error questionnaires. The study employed descriptive statistics, Pearson r correlation, and serial mediation analysis. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. Results: Pearson r correlation revealed significant negative correlations between medical error and structural empowerment, formal power, and informal power. The conceptual framework was significant and predicted 16% of the variance in medical errors. The mediation analysis confirmed that formal power and informal power mediate the relationship between structural empowerment and medical error. Conclusions and Implications. This study sheds light on the intricate connection of structural empowerment, formal and informal power, and their collective impact on reducing medical errors. Understanding and addressing these dynamics allows nurses and administrators to achieve a culture of patient safety. Reduction of medical errors is paramount to a safe healthcare environment that prioritizes patient outcomes. Strategies should be fostered to enhance structural empowerment, refine formal power structures, and leverage the positive aspects of informal networks.

Self-Medication and its Associated Factors among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Self-medication is a global concern among professionals and non-professionals, with a rapid increase in prevalence. The study aims to assess the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among university students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in three universities, and a total of 817 college students participated in this study. Results: About 75.40% of the participants reported using medications without a professional prescription. The category of analgesics was the most commonly used in self-medication (82.80%), while the most common symptom was a headache (81.50%). Almost 74.10% percent of participants who have practiced self-medication stated that the reason was the "lack of time to consult a physician." Most participants who have used self-medication (90.30%) stated that the source of knowledge was "previous prescription." Conclusions: Health education programs concerning self-mediation should be held in university settings to improve attitudes and practices toward self-mediation.

The role of organizational culture and communication skills in predicting the quality of nursing care.

AIMS: This study aims to identify the level of nursing care quality and examine its predictors considering nurses' demographic data, organizational culture, and communication skills. BACKGROUND: Quality of care is a determinant of the sustainability of any healthcare organization. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how factors may contribute to the quality of nursing care. Limited research is available on the interaction between the concepts of quality of nursing care, communication skills, and organizational culture. METHODS: A cross-sectional multi-site correlational design was used in this study. A convenience sample of 200 nurses from four Jordanian hospitals was recruited. Data was collected using self-reported questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression were performed to achieve the study's aims. RESULTS: The majority of the nurses in this study were females with bachelor's degrees. Age ranged between 22 and 53 years whereas experience ranged from 1 to 30 years. Communication skills significantly predicted the quality of nursing care; however, organizational culture was not a significant predictor of the quality of nursing care. Nevertheless, Pearson r correlation results revealed a significant correlation between organizational culture and communication skills (r = 0.57, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Nurses and organizational managers can increase the level of quality of nursing care by investing in programs that target improving nurses' communication skills. Providing a good environment in the hospital can increase communication skills between staff members, ultimately increasing the quality of nursing care. Further studies are recommended to elaborate and further uncover concerns related to the current research.

Breakfast Skipping and Associated Factors Among Jordanian University Students.

Background: Although breakfast skipping among university students is a significant concern, its prevalence and the contributing factors among university students have received little attention in the literature. This study aims to determine the prevalence of skipping breakfast among Jordanian university students and examine the associated factors and variations in rates of skipping breakfast by day of the week. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students between March and May 2022 through a self-questionnaire. A convenience sample of 891 students was chosen at four Jordanian public universities. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The prevalence of skipping breakfast among university students was 66%. The reasons for skipping breakfast were having no time due to oversleeping and having no feeling of hunger (59% for both), followed by having no energy to prepare the breakfast and making no difference (49% and 48%), and not being able to afford to eat or buy breakfast (19%). There is a strong correlation between eating fast food and skipping breakfast. With whom the student eats breakfast is significantly associated with breakfast skipping, revealing that the highest percentages of skipping occur with friends. About 63% of students skipped breakfast through university days compared with 37% on the weekend, while 37% of them had breakfast through university days compared with 67% on the weekend. Conclusions: A high percentage of university students in Jordan skip breakfast. More attention should be paid to correlating factors and developing interventions to help students adhere to the breakfast.

Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the six-dimension scale of nursing performance- arabic version.

BACKGROUND: Nursing performance is a key indicator of patients' care quality and safety. Most healthcare research tools are available in the English language; however, nurses around the world can employ these tools if rigorously adapted and cross-culturally validated. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to provide a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the six-dimension scale of nursing performance to be used among Arabic-speaking nurses. DESIGN: The study employed a descriptive, correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. METHODS: A five-step cross-cultural adaptation process was adopted. The scale was administered to 216 Jordanian nurses between January 2022 to April 2022. SPSS and AMOS were used for descriptive and correlation analyses and testing the six-dimension model through structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS: The current study produced a valid, reliable, culturally adapted Arabic language version of the six-dimension scale of nursing performance. The internal consistency of the tool was supported by a Cronbach Alpha's value of 0.99. The model's goodness of fit indices were: CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.048, and CMIN/df = 1.49. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the scale identified three factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.00., explaining 75.22% of the variance. A subsequent EFA, specifying six factors, yielded 79.79% explained variance. All item factor loadings exceeded 0.30, confirming the scale's robust factor structure. CONCLUSIONS: This study proved that following a robust cross-cultural adaptation process results in a reliable and valid measure of nursing performance to be used among Arabic-speaking nurses. The study supports the dimensionality of nursing performance as evidenced by the SEM results. Therefore, the findings have the potential to considerably enhance studying nursing performance in healthcare fields in Arabic-speaking nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Arabic version of the Six-Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance have direct implications for improving the quality of nursing services, enhancing patient safety, promoting cultural competence, and supporting the professional growth of Arabic-speaking nurses.

Exploring the relationships between stress, resilience and job performance among nurses in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are a crucial part of healthcare organisations, constituting around half of the global healthcare workforce. Therefore, it is important to examine the factors that may affect their job performance, which is central to the delivery of effective healthcare services. AIM: To examine the relationships between stress, resilience and job performance within the nursing context in Jordan. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used. A self-administered questionnaire comprising stress, resilience and job performance scales was completed by a convenience sample of 207 nurses working in five hospitals in the northern and middle regions of Jordan. RESULTS: Overall, respondents self-reported moderate stress levels, normal resilience levels and moderate job performance. The study identified: a moderate positive correlation between stress and resilience; a weak negative correlation between stress and job performance; and a weak positive correlation between resilience and job performance. CONCLUSION: It is essential that nurse managers, leaders and policymakers implement measures to mitigate the stressors encountered by nurses, increase resilience and foster effective coping mechanisms. Such measures could enhance nurses' resilience and job performance, ultimately improving patient care.

Depression stigma, depression literacy, and psychological help seeking attitudes among school and university students.

Very little research has specifically investigated depression stigma and its correlation with depression literacy and help-seeking attitudes among students. This study aimed to assess the levels and correlations of stigma, literacy, and psychological help-seeking attitudes related to depression among a sample of high school and university students in Jordan. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was employed using an anonymous, online, self-report survey. This study included a total of 650 students aged 16 to 24 years. The participants were found to have high levels of depression stigma, low levels of depression literacy, and negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The most frequently reported sources of psychological help were family members, relatives, and friends. A significant negative correlation was found between depression stigma and depression literacy. The predictive factors of depression stigma were depression literacy, age, gender, education, father's educational level, family size, and having history of mental health problems among family members, relatives, or friends. This study provides valuable information on the common mental health needs and concerns among students in Jordan. The findings also highlight the importance of developing and implementing depression awareness and prevention education campaigns for students in schools and universities. Such campaigns may increase students' knowledge about depression, enhance their use of mental healthcare services, and prevent or decrease their risk of developing depression.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11: The development of short form.

Impulsivity is an important mental health-related variable that has been associated with various human behaviors. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is the most frequently used measure to examine impulsivity. However, its psychometric and factor structure was not examined in Arabic speaking population. The goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in Arabic speaking population. The current study used a cross-sectional design. Two independent samples were recruited: college students (N = 250) and persons with heart failure (N = 165). Exploratory factor analysis, then a series of confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess one- and three-factor models of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (30 items; i.e., BIS-11) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (15 items; i.e., BIS-15). Because our analysis did not support the factor structure of the previous versions of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, we used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the model structure of the single-factor measure. To assess the measurement invariance, the newly developed measure was examined across different genders and populations. Due to poor psychometrics of BIS-11 and BIS-15, a short form (BIS-SF) was developed; and validity, reliability, and measurement invariance were supported. The current analysis showed that BIS-11 and BIS-15 have poor psychometrics. Thus, there was a need to improve the measure by reducing the number of items and re-evaluating the psychometrics of the new measure. The BIS-SF is a reliable, valid tool to assess impulsivity in our samples. Other studies need to support the current study findings in populations with other chronic illnesses.

The effectiveness of COPA-based training program on the infection-control competencies of newly hired healthcare professionals.

Competency-based education that relies on nurses' and healthcare professionals' needs assessment is crucial to tackling healthcare crises such as COVID-19. Strengthening the capacities of human resources by implementing customized infection control training programs is therefore mandatory. This study aims to measure the effectiveness and satisfaction of the Competency Outcomes and Performance Assessment (COPA)-based training program. The study implemented a single group pretest-posttest experimental design. A single-stage cluster sampling technique was used. All field hospitals in Jordan were listed, and one hospital was randomly selected. A total of 87 personnel from different disciplines agreed to participate after reading the letter of information and signing the informed consent. A panel of experts representing different disciplines and hospital units initially met and agreed upon a list of competencies required for the training program, and the program was accordingly developed. The study measured the healthcare professionals' competencies in infection control and prevention before and after the administration of the competency-based training program. The results revealed significant differences between participants' pretest and posttest scores in all infection control domains and the total scores. For example, the increase in participants' total competency scores after the training was statistically significant (P < 0.007). The mean total satisfaction score was 61.18 + 7.00 reflecting that the participants were highly satisfied with the provided training. In conclusion, it is imperative to provide healthcare professionals with adequate clinical training to ensure that healthcare services are going to be delivered in the highest possible quality and minimize the possible adverse events.

Assessing Professional Competencies Among Undergraduate Nurses: An Exploratory Study.

AIM: The study aimed to identify nursing students' professional competencies and examine which factors of the clinical learning environment affect these competencies. BACKGROUND: Professional competencies are vital for the quality and safety of nursing practice. The learning environment is important for the development of professional competencies. METHOD: Data were collected from 178 nursing students using the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision Scale and the Nursing Professional Competencies Scale-Short Form. RESULTS: The highest competency was achieved in value-based nursing care; the lowest competency was achieved in development, leadership, and organization of nursing. Factors such as positive pedagogical atmosphere, nursing care on the ward, and good supervisory relationship affected learning and, in turn, improved professional competencies. CONCLUSION: The results establish a link between the clinical environment and reported professional competencies, leading to a call for more focused coverage of these factors in the academic curricula.

Health literacy of university employees: The role of sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy plays a key role in promoting overall health and preventing diseases among individuals and communities. However, the literature regarding health literacy among university employees is still evolving and not thoroughly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the association between health literacy and sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status of university employees in Jordan. METHODS: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. A total of 163 university employees participated by completing a demographics questionnaire and the Health Literacy Questionnaire. The Health Literacy Questionnaire is considered a comprehensive tool to assess health literacy, and it encompasses nine distinct scales. The body mass index was calculated by obtaining the participants' height and weight. RESULTS: The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that three factors had a statistically significant effect on the linear composite of the Health Literacy Questionnaire scales. These factors were the university employees' age, highest level of education, and body mass index. Follow-up analyses revealed that university employees' sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status affect different domains of health literacy. Compared to overweight employees, those with normal body mass index had higher mean average scores on six (out of nine) scales of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the need for addressing the nutritional status and sociodemographic characteristics as a source of disparity in university employees' health literacy. Such factors should be addressed in designing tailored health promotion interventions for university employees.

The perception of shared governance and engagement in decision-making among nurses.

BACKGROUND: Shared governance is a structural framework for operationalizing nursing ownership and accountability for nursing practice. Healthcare institutions are striving to promote healthy and satisfactory work conditions to retain their qualified personnel and achieve organizational stability and high care quality. However, little is known about nurses' participation in governance in developing countries. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the levels of shared governance, also known as professional governance, among nurses in Jordan. The demographics of the study participants will also be assessed. METHODS: The current study used a cross-sectional design implementing an anonymous online survey technique to collect data from 111 nurses on the Index of Professional Nursing Governance (IPNG). Descriptive statistics were performed to evaluate the nurses' perception of the concept of shared governance in the domains of personnel, information, resources, participation goals and conflict resolution, and practice. RESULTS: Among the 111 nurses, 55% of the participants were females, 45.5% were affiliated with governmental hospitals, and about half of them worked in critical care units. The analysis showed that the mean score for the total IPNG was 113 (SD = 26.28). The analyses of the mean scores of IPNG domains ranged from 11.5 (SD = 4.6) for goals and conflict resolution to 23.8 (SD = 5.7) for access to information. DISCUSSION: The results revealed that nurses' average perception of professional governance demonstrated shared governance, and more specifically, in the lower level of shared governance where decisions are made primarily by management with some staff input. Analysis of the domains of governance revealed that participants' scores corresponded with shared governance in the areas of information, resources, goals and conflict, and practice, while traditional governance was prevalent in the governance of nursing personnel and participation. CONCLUSION: There is an agreement on the need of moving the position of frontline nurses to the center of their organizations where equity, accountability, and ownership are the pillars of participative governance. Frontline nurses need further empowerment to be more actively engaged especially in the management of nursing staff and related structures and in the participation in structures connected to governance activities at different organizational levels such as in committees.

The predicting effects of professional governance and structural empowerment on job satisfaction among Jordanian nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the role of professional governance and empowerment in predicting nurses' job satisfaction. BACKGROUND: Nurses can lead the way to enhance health care quality for all if they work in safe, satisfying and empowering environments. Professional governance and structural empowerment are associated with favourable work conditions and environments. However, studies addressing the predicting effects of professional governance and structural empowerment on job satisfaction are still limited. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was applied. Online self-reported questionnaires were completed by 126 nurses. The analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, Pearson r correlation and hierarchical multiple regression to address the research aim. RESULTS: Job satisfaction moderately correlated with structural empowerment (r = .40, p < .001) and professional governance (r = .30, p < .001). The final regression model revealed that 30% of the variation in job performance scores can be predicted by professional governance, structural empowerment and some demographic characteristics (R2 = .30, F = 8.67, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Working in an environment that incorporates empowerment conditions, genuine support and valuable opportunities will increase the nurse's job satisfaction. Additionally, nurses will have higher job satisfaction if they have their voices heard. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should properly assess the existing situation in each institution, implement already-tested-for-effectiveness and efficiency interventions and create new ones based on nurses'-specific needs.

The impact of online synchronous versus asynchronous classes on nursing students' knowledge and ability to make legal and ethical decisions.

BACKGROUND: Educating nursing students on laws and ethics is essential since the nursing profession requires providing services that have many legal and ethical implications. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to measure the effectiveness of two teaching strategies (providing online synchronous classes versus asynchronous classes) on nursing students' knowledge of legal and ethical issues and their ability to make legal and ethical decisions. DESIGN: This study used a randomized control trial (RCT) design. SAMPLE AND SETTING: A total of 127 students from two governmental universities in Jordan participated in and completed the current study. The students were randomly assigned either to the experimental group which received the synchronous classes (n = 60, 47.2%) or the control group which received asynchronous classes (n = 67, 52.8%). METHOD: The two study groups were given a pre-test to measure their knowledge and ability to make legal and ethical decisions. After the pre-test, an online synchronous educational class about legal and ethical issues in nursing was carried out by the same educator twice a week and lasted for approximately 1.5 h each. At the same time, the students in the control group were provided with the same material but as asynchronous classes and were encouraged to watch the classes during the lecture. After completing the educational classes, both groups were asked to complete the post-test questionnaire. RESULTS: The results indicated significant outcomes in terms of increasing the knowledge and the ability to make an ethical decision of students who attended the educational classes. However, the synchronous and asynchronous classes did not result in significant differences in students' learning outcomes. CONCLUSION: Educating nursing students about legal and ethical issues in the nursing profession is important to prepare them to make legal and ethical decisions. In addition, using different teaching strategies is quite important in educating nursing students.

A study of the relationship between nurses' experience, structural empowerment, and attitudes toward computer use.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between structural empowerment and nurses' experience and attitudes toward computer use. METHODS: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional quantitative design. A total of 184 registered nurses from four hospitals in Jordan participated in the current study. Data were collected using a demographics questionnaire, the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II), and the Pretest for Attitudes toward Computers in Healthcare (PATCH). RESULTS: The median of experience in years among nurses was 5.0, ranging from one to 26 years. The mean score for the attitudes toward computer use was 61.90 ± 11.38. Almost half of the participants, 45.11%, were in the category of "feel comfortable using user-friendly computers." The participants' mean average of the total structural empowerment was 12.40 ± 2.43, and the values for its four subscales were: opportunity 3.57 ± 0.87, resources 2.83 ± 0.85, information 3.06 ± 0.79, and support 2.95 ± 0.86. The frequencies analysis revealed that most participants had a moderate level of empowerment (n = 127, 69.02%). The bivariate correlation between nurses' experience and attitudes toward computer use was significant (r = -0.17, P < 0.05). The relationship between the total structural empowerment score and attitudes toward computer use was positive but weak (r = 0.20, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that more experienced nurses are more reluctant toward computer use. However, creating an empowering work environment can facilitate nurses' attitudes toward computer use.

Reliability and validation of the Arabic version of the Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire-II-Arabic Version (CWEQ-II-AV), which measures structural empowerment among nurses. To enhance the usability and credibility of the CWEQ-II among researchers within Arabic-speaking countries, a valid and reliable Arabic version of the measure is necessary. METHODS: A cross-sectional research design was used. From December 2018 to June 2019, 275 nurses working in 4 hospitals participated in the study. Reliability was assessed by examining internal consistency and split-half reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the factor structure of the CWEQ-II-AV. RESULTS: The psychometric properties of the CWEQ-II-AV were excellent regarding the six-factor model (opportunity, information, resources, support, formal power, and informal power). The results showed the following fit indices meet the criteria set a priori: comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.96, root mean square of error approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06, and χ 2/df = 2.08. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.95 for the total questionnaire and ranged between 0.83 and 0.89 for the individual subscales. The split-half reliability was 0.91 for the total questionnaire and ranged from 0.83 to 0.87 for individual subscales. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that CWEQ-II-AV is both a reliable and valid measure of structural empowerment among Arab nurses.

Structural empowerment, formal and informal power, and job performance quality: A moderated mediation analysis.

AIM: To explore complex relationships among structural empowerment, formal power and informal power in predicting job performance quality. BACKGROUND: Job performance is a major determinant of organisations' progress towards their goals and providing quality care. Job performance quality is an aspect of job performance and complex phenomenon that requires a more in-depth understanding of complex relationships predicting its quality in nurses. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Participants were 195 nursing staff providing direct patient care in four hospitals in Jordan. Hayes process was used to examine moderated mediation relationship predicting job performance quality. RESULTS: The proposed model in this study explained 86% of the variance in job performance quality. The results showed that structural empowerment effect on job performance quality was significant for direct and indirect paths. However, those effects varied at different levels of informal power. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the relationship between structural empowerment and job performance quality was none linear. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This study stresses the importance of considering complex relationships in promoting job performance quality. Understanding the nonlinear relationship between structural empowerment and job performance quality is expected to help nursing researchers, administrators and policymakers promote job performance quality.

Prevalence of medical errors and barriers to report among nurses and nursing students in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Medical errors (MEs) are serious but preventable threats to patient safety. Annually, 421 million hospitalizations take place worldwide, from those an estimation of around 43 million MEs occur. Low-middle income countries account for two-thirds of these MEs. AIM: To examine the prevalence and contributing factors predicting MEs and its reporting among Jordanian nurses and nursing students. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. A total of 178 nursing students and 123 bedside nurses participated in this study. Study data were collected through a five-section newly developed survey. RESULTS: MEs are highly prevalent in Jordanian hospitals. More than 70% of nurses and nursing students have no previous training in preventing and reporting MEs. The most prevalent type of MEs were related to changing positions for bedridden patients followed by medication errors, iatrogenic infections, and falls. Staff shortage was the main cause of MEs from participants' perspectives. CONCLUSION: A central concern of these results is the need for providing effective programs on identifying and preventing MEs in health-care settings and integrate these programs into graduate nursing curriculums. Strategies should be implemented to establish electronic systems that are accessible, confidential, and a time-saver to enhance reporting MEs.

Intimate Partner Violence in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue at the global level, with cultural differences in its nature and prevalence. Most of the current evidence related to IPV comes from Western countries; however, there is a lack of evidence of IPV in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. The issue of IPV has been investigated in Saudi Arabia only recently, and data have been inconsistent and inconclusive. Hence, we conducted a systematic review of the extant literature devoted to IPV prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes as well as Saudi women's help-seeking behaviors. Various databases, such as PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, and reference lists of the reviewed studies, were searched to identify relevant studies by using different keywords. The review included 16 studies that met the inclusion criteria, which revealed several findings. There is no national representative prevalence study of IPV in the Saudi context. Various IPV definitions were used with limited evidence for the reliability and validity of the used IPV measures. IPV is a prevalent issue among Saudi women, but rates are comparable to those of other countries. There are various individual, relational, and sociocultural factors that increase women's vulnerability to IPV victimization. However, limited information is available regarding IPV protective factors. More importantly, IPV experiences negatively affect Saudi women's physical and mental health status. Saudi women rarely seek formal support for IPV. This review also highlights the lack of IPV data and inconsistencies in defining and measuring IPV. More rigorous research regarding IPV is needed to help develop relevant preventive and intervention programs.

The role of structural empowerment in predicting computer use among Jordanian nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The study aimed to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and attitudes towards computer use among nurses. BACKGROUND: Empowering organizational structure is a significant factor affecting employees' attitudes and behaviours towards using organizational resources. Health information technologies were proven to improve health care quality. No previous studies examined the relationship between structural empowerment and attitudes towards computer use. METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Self-reported questionnaires were completed by 200 Jordanian nurses. Descriptive statistics, Pearson r correlation and linear regression analyses were used to address the research aim. RESULTS: Structural empowerment was significantly and positively associated with attitudes towards computer use. Dimensions in structural empowerment that predict positive attitude towards computer use were access to opportunity (ß = 0.382, p = .000), formal power (ß = -0.252, p = .006) and informal power (ß = 0.176, p = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening access to empowerment structures is essential to increase nurses' work efficiency. Improving empowering structures can be achieved by enhancing opportunities to increase professional knowledge and skills towards computerization. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should promote work conditions that motivate nurses towards positive recognition of innovation through efficient collaborations with the information technology teams.