Determinants of the nurses autonomy levels

ABSTRACT DETERMINANTS OF THE NURSES AUTONOMY LEVELS Aim of this study is to determine the autonomy levels of the nurses who are working in interaal medicine, surgery clinics and intensive çare units at the University Hospital, Ministry of Health and Social-Security- Hospital and to study the possible factors which may effect this level of autonomy. Participants of the study who are graduated frorn, two-years nursing program and four- years nursing program and work in medical, surgical clinics and intensive çare units. For data gathering an ingisition format made up of two parts was used. in the first part the factors effecting the autonomy level were questioned, and in the second part autonomy subscale consisting 30 questions under (sosyotropy-autonomy) scale takes place ( Individual achievement - Freedom - Solitude ). The dependend variable of the study is the nurses autonomy levels. The independend variables are the hospitals worked in, age, position ofjob, years of work experience the service practicing in, educational status, mantal status, work schedule and job satisfaction. The data collected is tested by variance analyzing methods. Avarage autonomy points of the nurses in University Hospital is 79.10± 15.19, in Ministry of Health 84.80+13.63 and Social-Security Hospital 83.87±15.61 autonomy points of the nurses working in difFerent hospitals is statistically significant. Seperately individual achievement and freedom points is statistically very significant. Avarage autonomy points of the nurses graduated from, two-years nursing program and four-years nursing program is 85.37±14.68, 82.30±14.44 and 79.38±15.12 respectively. The correlation between the educational state and autonomy level is statistically significant. The autonomy level when compared with work experience is 79.52+15.33 for the ones who have worked less than 5 years, 82.89±14.45 for 6-10 years, and 84.94+14.49 for the nurses \vho have work experience more than 11 years. The correlation between years workedand autonomy is statistically significant. Individual achievement points is statistically very significant. The avarage autonomy points of the nurses who have not studied in a different place (hospital) is 84.04+15.45 and the other is 80.62+14.32. There is a statistical signifıcance between autonomy levels. Seperately individual achievement, freedom and solİtude points is statistically significant. Autonomy point averages according to job satisfaction are 84.01±13.43 for '!' point, 83.11±15.75 for '2' points, 80.34±15.25 for '3' points, 81.22±13.75 for '4' points and 87.12+ 14.22 for '5' points respectively. This correlation is statistically significant. individual achievement and freedom points is statistically significant. These results are discussed. KEY WORDS: Autonomy, Autonomy For Nurses, Decision Making in Nurses, Competency For Nurses.