Measurement of Workplace Empowerment Across Caregivers

Culture change models (CCM) developed to improve the provision of individualized care in long-term care (LTC) facilities often include initiatives that are thought to empower care staff. Therefore, the ability to measure empowerment accurately across all levels of care staff is necessary. The objective of this study was to examine the structure of responses by registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and care aides to 3 instruments measuring workplace empowerment: the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, Job Activities Scale, and Organizational Relationships Scale. Despite considerable differences in education and job function, both caregiver groups appear to interpret and respond to 38 of 40 empowerment items in a similar manner. Therefore, our findings support the inclusion of all care staff when using these instruments to measure work place empowerment in LTC settings.