Perceptions and characteristics of registered nurses' involvement in decision making.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the level of actual and preferred decisional involvement and ascertain whether there is decisional dissonance among registered nurses (RNs).

Subjects And Methods: A convenience sample of 196 RNs completed a demographic form and the Decisional Involvement Scale, a tool that measures actual and preferred decisional involvement for RNs in 6 categories: unit staffing, quality of professional practice, professional recruitment, unit governance and leadership, quality of support staff practice, and collaboration/liaison activities. From these data, the level of and difference between RN's actual and preferred decisional involvement was analyzed.