Empowerment is a widely accepted concept in health-related disciplines. It is considered important for helping patients to gain control over their lives in order to make changes in health behaviors. The concept is frequently viewed as being too abstract and lacking a usable definition. The authors use Walker and Avane (1995) methods to review the existing literature and to analyze the empowerment concept. The models, empirical studies, and research instruments that are discussed may be helpful to nurses who want to apply the concept to their nursing practices.