The nursing profession can be viewed as an influential and powerful occupation. Both influence and power are most commonly attributed to leadership positions as compared to the low status of nursing profession in the hierarchy of the healthcare profession (Manojlovich, 2007). As a nursing professional, I can attest to the ability and capacity of the nurse to impose power over others (e.g., patients, colleagues and even to the community). One of these competencies is for nurses to communicate and work as a team with other health care providers, make interventions to improve the holistic condition of the patient and the family, as well as, ease the work of the team. This capability enables the team to see the whole picture of what the patient is up to for the planning of necessary actions. As such, a nurse may well increase his or her power as he or she performs well until a higher position in an organization.
My view of power in the nursing profession is that nurses are known to be multi-taskers as they deal with life and death situations most of the time. Nonetheless, they can gracefully manage to prioritize day-to-day workloads, such as from carrying out doctors’ orders to therapeutically connect and communicate with patients and families. Hence, establishing rapport with the patients is very influential factor as patients verbalize subjective information vital in the care plan. Through this action, nurses affect other healthcare practitioners to formulate SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) plan of care when implementing patient- and family-centered health care plan (Ponte, et al., 2007).
Initially, nurses use of power can uphold the assurance of patient’s potential to overcome certain condition to recuperate faster. With a holistic approach to patient care, I learn from my co-nurses and other healthcare practitioners, which is a coaching stage for a healthcare team to improve on their skills. The ability of a team of nurses and other medical professionals by means of genuine care and empathy for patients will help everyone to fulfill their duties and thus, consequently, increase a nurse’s power in the profession. In the other words, strategies, skills and tender loving care are some of the most important powers a nurse can have. These may influence others to act in a specific way, e.g., through delegated tasks (American Sentinel, 2012).
A nurse equipped with skills and right knowledge is an effective health care provider as he or she surely touches and makes a real difference in people’s lives (whether among patients, colleagues, and other practitioners). An individual power will translate into a greater power not just for the nursing community but for the nursing profession as a nurse dutifully perform his or her healthcare obligations based on his or her personal, social, and institutional ethical standards.
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, my action plan in increasing power in the nursing profession is through an outstanding performance of one’s job description – and may even well go beyond it for the sake of the profession, clients, and institution he or she serves. There is no better way, for me, to increase nursing power but through teamwork, proper task delegation, training of future nursing leaders, and solid network in the nursing field. Sometimes, a nurse should exercise utmost professional discretion is powerfully asserting his or her place in the profession. Doing so would most likely make the nursing profession not only to increase in power but also its reputation.
References
American Sentinel. (2012, October 9). Power and Influence? All Nurses Have Them. Retrieved from NurseTogether LLC.: http://www.nursetogether.com/power-and-influence-all-nurses-have-them
Manojlovich, M. (2007). Power and Empowerment in Nursing: Looking Backward to Inform the Future. The Online Journal on Issues in Nursing, n.p.
Ponte, P., Dann, E., McCollum, K., Gross, A., Tyrrell, R., Branowicki, P., . . . Nicolas, P. W. (2007). The Power of Professional Nursing Practice -- An Essential Element of Patient and Family Centered Care. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, n.p.
