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This qualitative, explanatory study examined Post-RN baccalaureate nursing students' experiences of empowerment with distance education and computer conferencing (CC) for fit with the constructs of Kanter's (1977, 1993) Theory of Structural Power in Organizations. Seven post-RNs from Canadian distance education nursing programs were interviewed. Interview transcripts were examined using content analysis. Kanter's theory was useful in describing empowerment structures in distance education courses. Feedback from instructors, access to library facilities, and support from employers and family are essential elements of an empowering educational experience. Students missed face-to-face contact. Two themes unrelated to Kanter's theory--self-direction and determination to succeed--emerged. This study, based on a theoretical framework, will be of interest to educators and administrators of distance education programs. (Contains 1 figure.)

Reflective thinking is often stated as a learning outcome of baccalaureate nursing education, and as a characteristic of a competent professional; however, no consistent method exists to assess the extent to which students engage in reflective thinking. To address this need, Kember and Leung developed and tested a self-report questionnaire based on Mezirow's conceptualisation of levels of reflective thinking. The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Reflection Questionnaire, developed by Kember and Leung. A convenience sample ("n"?=?538) of third-year baccalaureate nursing students from four collaborative nursing programmes in Ontario was used. Ethical approval was secured from 10 sites. Second-order confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to test the factor structure of the Reflection Questionnaire. This research was part of a larger study on reflective thinking and is a first step in validating a four-level measure of reflective thinking, in educational environments, with baccalaureate nursing students. The results of the second-order CFA provide support for the construct validity of reflective thinking. Results of this study contribute to the evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Nurse educators can use this information when implementing the questionnaire, and learning the extent to which students are engaging in the reflective thinking process. (Contains 9 tables and 7 figures.)

A collaborative project between Canadian and Norwegian nursing schools used computer- and videoconferencing to deliver nursing leadership content. Students gained global understanding of nursing and health care issues. (SK)

A computer-conferenced nursing course was evaluated by 10 graduate students and 3 faculty. They identified such benefits as enriched learning, meaningful interaction, and opportunities for reflection, creativity, and flexibility. (SK)

Copyright of Journal of Distance Education is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of AXON/ L'AXONE is the property of Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

sarmiento t.p., laschinger h.k.s. & iwasiw c. (2004) Journal of Advanced Nursing 46(2), 134–143 Nurse educators’ workplace empowerment, burnout, and job satisfaction: testing Kanter's theory Empowerment has become an increasingly important factor in determining college nurse educator burnout, work satisfaction and performance in current restructured college nursing programmes in Canada. This paper reports a study to test a theoretical model specifying relationships among structural empowerment, burnout and work satisfaction. A descriptive correlational survey design was used to test the model in a sample of 89 Canadian full-time college nurse educators employed in Canadian community colleges. The instruments used were the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, Job Activities Scale, Organizational Relationship Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory Educator Survey and Global Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. College nurse educators reported moderate levels of empowerment in their workplaces as well as moderate levels of burnout and job satisfaction. Empowerment was significantly related to all burnout dimensions, most strongly to emotional exhaustion ( r = −0·50) and depersonalization ( r = −0·41). Emotional exhaustion was strongly negatively related to access to resources ( r = −0·481, P = 0·0001) and support ( r = −0·439, P = 0·0001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that 60% of the variance in perceptions of job satisfaction was explained by high levels of empowerment and low levels of emotional exhaustion [ R2 = 0·596, F (1, 86) = 25·01, P = 0·0001]. While both were significant predictors of perceived job satisfaction, empowerment was the stronger of the two ( β = 0·49). The results provide support for Kanter's organizational empowerment theory in the Canadian college nurse educator population. Higher levels of empowerment were associated with lower levels of burnout and greater work satisfaction. These findings have important implications for nurse education administrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Distance Education is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Opinion. Comments on the study entitled `Effects of Clinical Supervision on Nurse-Patient Cooperation Quality,' by Edberg et al published in the May 1996 issue of the `Clinical Nursing Research' periodical. Advocacy of the care techniques described in the study; Method of clinical supervision; Applicability to practitioners.