Control Over Nursing Practice in Saudi Arabia: Nurses’ Perspective

Abstract

Background-Control over nursing practice is participatory process through which nurses have input and engage in decision making about practice policies and issues, as well as personnel issues affecting nurses. It is influenced by various internal and external factors. Staff nurses describe Control Over Nursing Practice (CONP) as a professional nursing function made up of a variety of activities and outcomes. CONP has been identified as an important work environment attribute to ensure patient safety and has been more strongly predictive of nurses’ perceptions of the effectiveness of patient care than empowerment. Patients are more satisfied thru their nursing care when nurses have control over their practice.
Aim-The aim of this study was to explore the perception of nurses for their level of control over nursing Practice .
Methods-A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used for this study. Quota sampling technique was used to recruit nurses working in one of the biggest MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Participants were asked to complete the Control over Nursing Practice (CONP) Scale.
Results- A total of 465 nurses (364 staff nurses and 101 nurse managers) perceived their control over nursing practice (CONP) moderately (5.27±1.10). The majority of nurses (79%) expressed that it is highly important to have a CONP, and (78%) they like to have CONP in their work setting. 46.9% of the participants selected charge nurses/head nurses as the most influential group related to their CONP.
Conclusion- This study concludes that the control over nursing practice is an important function that the nurses are expected to do in their clinical practice, however, most of the nurses participated in this study consider that CONP is importance and they like to have control over their practice, unfortunately, they are not practicing it feasibly in their work setting.