Structural Empowerment and Organisational Silence of New Nurses: The Mediating Role of Role Ambiguity

AIM: This study aims to assess the extent of organisational silence among new nurses, analyse how structural empowerment and role ambiguity influence this silence, and determine whether role ambiguity mediates the relationship between structural empowerment and organisational silence. The findings intend to offer practical guidance for nursing managers in supporting new nurses by minimising role ambiguity and fostering open communication during the transition into clinical practice. BACKGROUND: New nurses commonly exhibit organisational silence during their transition process. Although research indicates that structural empowerment, role ambiguity and organisational silence are interrelated, the underlying mechanisms among these three factors remain unclear. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. METHOD: A convenience sampling approach was adopted between September 2024 and March 2025. The study recruited 680 new nurses from 15 tertiary A-level hospitals located in Guangzhou, Changsha and Hangzhou. Data collection instruments included a demographic information form, the Chinese version of the Nursing Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Scale, the Employee Silence Behaviour Questionnaire and the Job Efficiency Conditions Scale. To examine the mediating role of role ambiguity in the relationship between structural empowerment and organisational silence, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied. RESULTS: A total of 628 new nurses participated in the survey. Structural empowerment was negatively correlated with role ambiguity (p < 0.01) and organisational silence (p < 0.01). The mediation analysis indicated that role ambiguity partially mediated the relationship between structural empowerment and organisational silence. Specifically, the mediating effect of role ambiguity was -0.14, accounting for 31.11% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: This research indicated that new nurses exhibited a below-average level of structural empowerment, while their levels of role ambiguity and organisational silence were above average. Specifically, structural empowerment had a negative impact on both role ambiguity and organisational silence; role ambiguity positively predicted organisational silence. Furthermore, role ambiguity played a significant mediating role in the relationship between structural empowerment and organisational silence. IMPACT: The findings indicate that nursing managers should not only focus on enhancing the structural empowerment of new nurses but also strengthen their role awareness, ensuring it plays a key role in reducing levels of organisational silence. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study did not involve patients, service users, caregivers, or members of the public.