Evaluating the effectiveness of the education program developed for the empowerment of new graduate nurses: A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the education program developed based on the structural empowerment (SE) and psychological empowerment (PE) theories and flipped classroom model for the empowerment of new graduate nurses (NGNs).

Design: Single-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

Methods: The study was conducted between June 2021 and September 2023 in two phases: developing the education program to empower NGNs and evaluating its effectiveness. An education program consisting of two parts, online and face-to-face, was developed. The online part consists of eight modules implemented for two weeks. The face-to-face part was implemented for two days and included the in-class activities. NGNs were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n: 32) and control group (n: 32). An education program was applied to the intervention group, whereas the control group continued their routine orientation program. A range of outcome measures of SE, PE, and education programs' effectiveness were evaluated. Data were analyzed using descriptive, chi-squared, and t-tests.

Results: The study determined that the intervention and control groups showed homogeneous distribution in the pretest. A statistically significant difference was identified between the intervention and control groups regarding the mean scores of PE and SE three months following the implementation of the education program, and the total mean score of the intervention group was higher.

Conclusion: The education program developed to empower NGNs was a highly effective intervention in increasing nurses' perceptions of SE and PE. There is a need to carry out studies and activities to disseminate this program.

Clinical relevance: The findings of this study will guide educators, researchers, and administrators in future strategies and innovative programs for empowering NGNs.