Background: Nurses in specialty areas as the intensive care units are susceptible to 
workplace stress due to facing many challenges that make them have to create work place 
that is optimal for provision of nursing care by motivating, empowering their nurses and 
problem-solving skills through learning problem solving and decision making process to 
act independently and autonomously. Aim: This study aimed to assess relation between 
level of empowerment and problem solving abilities of nurses at intensive care units. 
Subject and Method: Design: Descriptive correlational research design was used in this 
study. Setting: This study was conducted at Tanta University Hospitals in intensive care 
units, Egypt. Subject: Consist of all nurses (n=390) from the previously mentioned setting 
available at time of data collection. Tools: Two tools were used to collect data, Tool (1)
Nurses Empowerment Structured Questionnaire Sheet, Tool (II) Nurses' Problem Solving 
Abilities Questionnaire. Results: Nearly one half (45.6%) of nurses had low level of 
empowerment. While, more than one third (36.9%) of them had moderate level of 
empowerment. High percent (60.3%) had moderate levels of problem solving abilities. 
While, more than one quarter (26.4%) had low levels of problem solving abilities. 
Conclusion: There were statistically positive correlation between overall nurses' 
empowerment including autonomy, participation, responsibility and overall nurses' 
problem solving abilities including problem solving confidence, approach avoidance style, 
personal control at p(<0.001). Recommendation: It was recommended that encouraging 
learning system and training program for nurses regarding effective autonomy and 
empowerment and participates in unit and hospital decision making process.