Bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges in gesondheidsdienste in Suid-Afrika bly 'n voortdurende kwessie en die mate waartoe verpleegbestuur verpleegkundiges bemagtig om outonoom op te tree, is onbekend. Wanneer verpleegkundiges bemagtig is, lei dit tot verbeterde pasientsorg deur middel van verhoogde produktiwiteit en werktevredenheid.
Die wyse waarop bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges meet geskied is nog nie in SuidAfrika in diepte ondersoek nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om daardie elemente wat vir die verpleegbestuurder noodsaaklik is om verpleegkundiges te kan bemagtig, te identifiseer.
Deur middel van 'n beskrywende, ontdekkende studie wat van 'n vraelys gebruik gemaak het om inligting te bekom, is die nodige elemente gei'soleer. Verpleegbestuurders in gesondheidsdienste in die Gauteng-area het as teikengroep gedien. Definisies van bestuursbemagtiging is geanaliseer ten einde 'n konseptuele raamwerk te
ken saamstel. Ses konsepte het die raamwerk vir hierdie studie gevorm, naamlik:
• die bydrae van bestuurstrukture tot die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges;
• die rel van magsdeling in die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges;
• deelnemende besluitneming in die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges;
• die verpleegbestuurder se vaardighede en verantwoordelikhede in haar daaglikse taakontwerp en bestuur wat tot die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges bydra;
• motivering- en beloningstrategiee wat tot bemagtiging bydra; en
• eienskappe wat kenmerkend van 'n bemagtigende verpleegbestuurder is.
Uit die ontleding van die data het die volgende belangrike elemente ender andere
na vore gekom:
• Daar behoort gedesentraliseerde verspreiding van mag na die laagste moontlike vlak in die gesondheidsdiens plaas te vind;
• Die voorstelle van verpleegkundiges behoort erken en indien aanvaarbaar, geimplementeer te word;
• Gesag behoort op so n wyse gedelegeer te word dat onafhanklike besluitneming bevorder word;
• Verpleegkundiges se take behoort sodanig ontwerp te word dat onafhanklike optrede in die werkplek bevorder word.
Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het getoon dat verpleegbestuurders positief ingestel is betreffende die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges. Hulle beskou dit as deel van hulle bestuursfunksie. 'n Uitdaging waarmee die bestuurder van die toekoms te kampe sal he, is die van 'n omvattende begrip vir personeellede en om van beheer
deur middel van streng burokratiese reels, af te sien.
Empowerment of nurses in health services in South Africa remains an ongoing issue, but the extent to which nursing management empowers nurses to act autonomously is not known. When nurses are empowered patient care and nursing services improve through enhanced productivity and job satisfaction.
The way in which nurses could be empowered by management has yet to be addressed by researchers in South Africa. The aim of the present study was to identify those essential elements through which nurse managers can empower nurses. By making use of a descriptive exploratory study, utilizing a questionnaire to acquire the necessary information, the essential elements were isolated. Nurse managers in health services in the Gauteng region formed the target group. Definitions of empowerment in management were analyzed and from this a conceptual framework regarding empowerment was formulated. Six concepts served as the basis
of this study:
• the contribution of management structures, towards the empowerment of nurses;
• the role of power-sharing in the empowerment of nurses;
• participative decision making in the empowerment of nurses;
• the management skills and responsibilities of the nurse manager in her daily task design and management that contribute to the empowerment of nurses;
• motivation and reward strategies that contribute towards empowerment;
• attributes which characterise an empowered nurse manager.
From the analysis of. the data the following important elements among others emerged:
• Decentralization of the distribution of power to the lowest possible level should take place in the health services;
• The suggestions of nurses should be acknowledged and if found acceptable, to be implemented;
• Authority should be delegated in such a way that independent decision making by nurses is enhanced;
• Nurses' tasks should be designed in a way that promote independent performance in the work place.
The findings of this study revealed that nurse managers are favourably disposed towards the empowerment of nurses. They see this as part of their managerial function. A challenge which confronts the manager of the future is that of comprehensively understanding staff members, and setting aside control through bureaucratic behaviour.