Nursing Clinical Instructor Experiences of Empowerment in Rwanda: Applying Kanter's and Spreitzer's Theories

Abstract

Clinical instructors (CIs) play a vital role in students’ development by facilitating learning in various health care practice environments. Quality nursing education hinges on the CI’s ability to enact his or her professional role. The purpose of this study was to explore Rwandan nursing clinical instructors’ experiences of structural and psychological empowerment. A descriptive qualitative method was used to obtain an understanding of CIs empowerment experiences in practice settings. Kanter’s (1993) Theory of Structural Power in Organizations and Spreitzer’s (1995) Psychological Empowerment Theory were used as a conceptual framework to interpret their experiences. Interview data from 21 nursing CIs in Rwanda were used to complete a secondary data analysis for this study. Most study participants perceived the structural components of informal power, resources, and support while formal power and opportunity were limited, diminishing their sense of structural empowerment. Psychological empowerment for the CIs in Rwanda stemmed from a sense of competence, meaning, impact and self-determination they had for their teaching roles and responsibilities in the practice setting. Implications and recommendations for CIs and administration are suggested to support, recruit and retain clinical instructors.