An exploration of empowerment amongst final yearundergraduate nursing students while onclinical placement in Ireland usingSocial Domain Theory
This is an exploratory study of the factors that enhance or inhibit empowerment development during the clinical placement of final year undergraduate nursing students in Ireland. 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. A qualitative design was employed using Layder's adaptive and social domain theories (2005; 2006) Focus group interviews were conducted with 43 (n=43) undergraduate nursing students in one college providing nursing education in Ireland. Interview data was analysed and findings suggest that preceptors are pivotal to nursing student empowerment. When preceptors were empowered in the clinical learning environment they radiated positive influences and 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. Conversely disempowerment occurred in ward areas that reflected a hierarchical culture that lacked respect and where nursing student socialisation was inhibited by feelings of powerlessness. Cultural influences, socialisation processes and positive preceptorship within the clinical learning environment combined with feelings of power/powerlessness impacted empowerment of nursing students in this study. Not all participants in this study had similar experiences, demonstrating that organisational and hospital culture had a considerable influence on the extent of empowerment and disempowerment experienced by the participants.