. 2021 Jul 27;13:169–181. doi: 10.2147/JHL.S221141

Table 1.

Definition of Concepts: Agency, Autonomy, Structural Empowerment, Psychological Empowerment

Agency/Agentic	Agency is the capacity, condition, or state of action of individuals; of exerting power; and of feeling in command/control of their lives.¹⁹ Agentic is when an individual has the power to control his/her own goals, actions, and destiny.²⁰
Autonomy	The ability to act freely in accordance with one’s own knowledge and professional capacities without unnecessary inhibitions or bureaucracy and without requiring permission or consent.²¹^,²²
Structural Empowerment	An organization-centric perspective on empowerment.²³ How nurses become empowered by their work structures.²⁴
Psychological Empowerment	A person’s intrinsic motivation concerning how employees experience their work is influenced by perceived meaning, competence, self-determination and impact, and by workplace structures that are put in place to promote empowerment.²³^,²⁵