Determination of autonomy levels and affecting factors of nurses working in department of radiation oncology

Determination of Autonomy Levels and Affecting Factors of Nurses Working in Department of Radiation Oncology Aim: To determine the autonomy levels and factors associated with the autonomy levels of nurses working in department of radiation oncology. Material and methods: This was a definitive study. The study was performed between July 2015 – May 2016 and was made up of a total of 138 volunteer nurses who were working in the radiation oncology outpatient departments or wards of 34 different hospitals in Turkey. Data were collected using a data collection form which was prepared by the investigator and a Nursing Activity Scale was also used. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS. Descriptive parameters, dependent and independent variables were compared using ANOVA, t test, Pearson correlation was used to test the relationship between job satisfaction level and professional experience. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with autonomy level of nurses. Results: Mean autonomy level of the whole group was 173.827.8 which corresponds to a "moderate level" of autonomy. Independent variables including socio-demographic level, professional features and job satisfaction was found to affect 14.4% of the autonomy level whereas degree of employment (38.0%), type of the institution (22%) and job satisfaction (21%) were the most common factors that were associated with the level of autonomy. Mean job satisfaction score was found 6.32.5. Autonomy level of the nurses increased with job satisfaction score. Conclusion: Identification of the nurses' task definition and increasing their job satisfaction are of crucial importance to increase autonomy level. Development of education and certification programs seems to improve the autonomous performance of the nurses working in specialized areas like radiation oncology. Such efforts are likely to improve patient outcomes. Keywords: Radiation oncology, nursing, professional autonomy, personal autonomy, job satisfaction