Professional autonomy among Registered Nurses—Validation of the translation of the Dempster Practice Behaviour Scale and survey results

Abstract

AimTo test the psychometric properties of the Finnish version of the Dempster Practice Behaviour Scale and explore nurses' professional autonomy along with which characteristics are related to it.DesignAn instrument validation and a descriptive cross‐sectional study.MethodsThe web‐based survey was conducted in September 2021 at two university hospitals in Finland. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to explore the factor structure of the modified instrument, while Cronbach's α coefficients were calculated to determine the reliability of the scale. Descriptive univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine Registered Nurses' professional autonomy. The study followed STROBE guidelines.ResultsDuring the validation process, the 30 items of the Dempster Practice Behaviour Scale were reduced to 25 items. The S‐CVI/Ave for the translated scale was 0.94. When one additional item was omitted from the EFA, the results supported five factors, which explained 45.9% of the total variance. The mean overall autonomy score was 3.63 out of 5, with readiness and empowerment the subscales with the highest and lowest, respectively, mean values. The linear regression models showed that age, nursing experience, unit type, education, shift, and perceptions of the importance of professional autonomy were related to the subscales describing professional autonomy.ConclusionThe psychometric testing provided evidence that the translated instrument was reliable. Nurses assessed that they are skilled professionals who are accountable for their actions. However, they experienced rather low levels of professional autonomy in empowerment and valuation. Health care organizations should consider this through authentic leadership and, thus, possibly strengthen professional autonomy.