Client Empowerment: A concept Analysis

Aim: To present a concept analysis of client empowerment from the perspective of Community Health Nursing. Background: The concept of empowerment is broad and is often seen as a way of giving more to the powerless in many facets of life. However, less emphasis has been placed on empowerment of client seeking health care in general and in particular those seeking it at the primary level. Hence, this concept paper analysed client empowerment in community health nursing as most literature on empowerment in nursing mainly dwell on nurses and hospitalised patients' empowerment. Design: The method used in this paper was the approach of Walker & Avant (2011). Data Sources: This concept analysis was carried out with the aid of literature on client empowerment obtained through the internet databases of CINAHL, PUBMED, BIOMED and PsycINFO. The key words of interest were "Client empowerment," "Nurses", and "Empowerment." The search timeline was adjusted to articles published within 2010 to 2015. Review Method: This concept analysis was performed using the 8-step method Proposed by Walker and Avant. Results: Following the Walker and Avant's method, identification of the attributes, antecedents and consequences of Client empowerment led to an operational definition of the concept of client empowerment as a process by which the Community Health Nurse and her client institute a therapeutic relationship within a supportive social climate characterised by respect, mutual decision-making, and power sharing leading to client independence, increased confidence, self-reliance, and self-management. Conclusion: This concept analysis was able to show that, client empowerment is the best way to institute the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. Client empowerment will facilitate the practice of community health nursing; improve client confidence and satisfaction of health services rendered by nurses. This analysis can be expanded by additional analysis to gain new understanding of the concept, thereby adding to the body of nursing knowledge.