Nursing Work Environment and Clinical Decision-Making: Psychological Empowerment as Mediator

Research from the University of Ha'il in Saudi Arabia has investigated the relationship between the nursing work environment and clinical decision-making among Saudi nurses. The study, which involved 298 nurses at five hospitals in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia, found that a positive nursing work environment and being a head nurse were significant predictors of higher psychological empowerment among nurses. Furthermore, the study revealed that psychological empowerment played a mediating role in the relationship between the nursing work environment and clinical decision-making.

Key Takeaways:

• The study involved 298 nurses at five hospitals in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia, and used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from January to March 2025.
• The questionnaire included tools to assess clinical decision-making, nursing work environment, and psychological empowerment.
• Multiple linear regression revealed that being a head nurse and perceiving a more positive nursing work environment were significant predictors of higher psychological empowerment among nurses.
• The study found that psychological empowerment played a mediating role in the relationship between the nursing work environment and clinical decision-making.
• The results suggest that establishing psychologically empowering conditions in the workplace is essential to enhance nurses' self-perceived competence and confidence in clinical decision-making.
• Professor Abdulhafith Alharbi from the University of Ha'il emphasized the need for establishing psychologically empowering conditions in the workplace to level up nurses' self-perceived competence and confidence in clinical decision-making.
• The research team included additional authors Shaimaa Mohammed, Larry Terence O. Cornejo, Sameer A. Alkubati, Hamdan Albaqawi, Laila A. Hamed, Aziza Z. Ali, and Eddieson Pasay-an.

Statistics:

• 298 nurses participated in the study from five hospitals in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia.
• The study collected data from January to March 2025.
• The questionnaire included tools to assess clinical decision-making (CDM), nursing work environment (NWE), and psychological empowerment (PE).
• Multiple linear regression revealed that being a head nurse and perceiving a more positive NWE were significant predictors of higher PE (P
• 4.2 (Model 4) was used to examine the mediating role of PE on the relationship between NWE and CDM.

Sources:

• BMC Nursing, 2025;24(1) [www.biomedcentral.com/bmcnurs/]
• BioMed Central [www.biomedcentral.com/]
• University of Ha'il, College of Nursing, Dept. of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing [www.hailuniversity.edu.sa]
• BMC [Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England]