The purpose of this study was to identify those variables which are associated with sense of power as it relates to organizational effectiveness among nurse managers. The variables selected include: personal and demographic characteristics, perceptions of the job, structural attributes of the organization at the unit level, and hospital size.

The sample for the study consisted of 258 nurse managers from 19 short term general hospitals in the State of Connecticut. The instrument used for data collection was a two part questionnaire. The first section was designed by the researcher to elicit data related to the variables selected. The second section was Guilberts' Health Care Work Powerlessness Scale. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to develop a set of optimal predictors and to rank order each independent variable in terms of its ability to explain variance in sense of power among nurse managers.

The findings of this study indicate that: (1) generally nurse managers who participated in this study did not perceive themselves as powerless; (2) a significant relationship existed between satisfaction with opportunities to participate on decision making committees and sense of power; (3) there was a significant relationship with perceptions that the job allows the nurse manager to take part in decisions that affect him/her and sense of power; (4) a significant relationship existed between nurses' perceived lack of regard and/or respect by physicians and feelings of powerlessness; (5) a significant relationship existed between nurses' dissatisfaction with opportunities for inservice education and increased feelings of powerlessness; (6) a negative relationship existed between increased age and powerlessness; (7) a negative relationship existed between higher levels of education and powerlessness; (8) the relationship between structural attributes at the unit level and sense of power was not significant; (9) the relationship between hospital size and sense of power was not significant.

The results lend support to the nurse managers' need for knowledge about organizational decision making and how to affect decision making within hospitals. Secondly, the findings indicated that nurse educators need to develop strategies to socialize nursing students to maximize their feelings of power within hospitals, and within professional relationships with physicians. Thirdly, the data from this study provides evidence of a need for improved inservice education related to management roles, for nurse managers employed in hospitals.