Effect of Partnership Nursing System on Nurses’ Autonomy and Practical Nursing Ability

Abstract

Objective: Research evidence demonstrating the effect of Partnership Nursing System (PNS) on nurses is limited because it has only recently been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the effect of PNS on nurses’ autonomy and nursing practical ability. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among nurses with less than three years of experience working in general wards at six facilities with and without the PNS. We compared the scores of autonomy and practical nursing ability of 192 nurses with only PNS experience (PNS group) and 121 nurses without PNS experience (non-PNS group). Results: Scores on autonomous clinical judgment and control over working conditions were lower in the PNS group than in the non-PNS group. However, job-related independence was similar among the two groups. The PNS group showed significantly larger dispersion in scores on autonomous clinical judgment than the non-PNS group, indicating that nurses in the PNS group had particularly low autonomy. Scores on all factors of practical nursing ability did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: Results suggest that PNS may interfere with the development of nurses’ autonomy and that nurses with low autonomy may choose facilities that implement PNS.