Friday, July 25, 2008

Expert power can be protected by developing a professional structure that controls access to these skills or knowledge. The claim to a unique body of knowledge makes it impossible for outsiders to pass judgement on professional performance.

A clinical nursing specialist can have direct authority over the behaviour of individual nurses and therefore can evaluate or promote these nurses. The clinical nurse specialist is able to alter the manner in which care is delivered on a nursing unit by providing information and resources and appropriate changes in case.

5. Coercive power: Coercive power is based on, fear. Compliance is induced because failure to comply will result in punishment or penalties. It allows people to attain control through fear, threat or coercion.-The power of some authoritarian leaders is coercive. They control through fear of loss of job or of punishment, such as undesirable assignments or shifts. Your just response may be that coercive power is inherently inappropriate. But some situation may require coercion. The law exercises coercive power to maintain safety for citizens.

In a hospital setting, coercion is sometime used to solve the problems that involve potential danger to clients. For example, if a nurse is discovered to be abusing drug, the threat of loss of license, job and ability to support herself may force her into an approved treatment and monitoring programme. Although there may be philosophical support for self-direction in obtaining help, the safety of clients is so important that it must be the first consideration. Therefore, coercion may be used when other avenues are unsuccessful.

6. Connection power: A manager with connection power has bonds with influential and important people within or outside an organisation. By complying with the manager, followers believe that favour will be gained with the important people connected with their leader.

Connection power is very important to masses. Nursing is the single largest healthcare occupation. The force of all nurses working together could be phenomenal. Even with a patient care unit a group of nurses working together towards a single goal will produce results. In a climate in which there is a shortage of nurses this connectional power of nurses can be very strong.

7. Information power: This is based on possession of or access to information.

This can influence people because of the belief that compliance will result in sharing of information. It occurs when a person controls information that is needed or could be used by others. Information that provides power may be knowledge of the institution's budget or income. -

All these sources are related to one another. Coercive power and reward powers are two ends of the same continuum. A manager can reward those who comply and can punish those who fail. Such authority may be granted by the nature of a position that. is legitimate power. Referent power and expert power are contained within a person and therefore can be labelled as personal power. Connection power can be involved position or can refer to those connected to the manager regardless of the position held. Connection power therefore, can be both position power and personal power. Inf6rmation* power also can be both personal and position power because a manager can have access to information given the nature of one's position or because of personal reasons.

RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING POWER

Various personal and material resources arc necessary to develop power effectively. Personal resources include both physical and psychological ones. You must have energy, without it you are powerless. Material resources may come from within the organisation, but where and how they are used may' vary greatly.

Physical resources

Physical resources for power are the strength you bring to each day's tasks. Health that provides energy and enthusiasm for activity is the base for the ability to act effectively. Nurses,. who recommend health living p4ttergs, including diet, exercise, rest and relaxation to client should incorporate those patterns into their own lives. Although some are successful in spite of lack of physical health, the better your general health state the easier it will be to become more powerful.

Psychological resources

The need for psychological resources for power is also important. The ability of the psychological system, to affect work done over time, may result in either more or less work, than a person is capable of doing.

To achieve power we must develop a strong self-concept. Without a positive value of ourselves and abilities others will not come to view you as competent and resourceful. To develop ' self-esteem we must have clear awareness of our strengths and limitation . I of us have areas in which we do better. Limitations may be more constructively viewed as areas in which growth is needed.

Another important point for developing the personal power is maintaining a positive forward outlook in the current situation. This does not imply that you ignore problems and difficulties, but tliat you choose to view them as challenges to. be overcome. When mistakes are made, you can look for situations and directions for growth rather than for someone to blame.

Material resources

It is needed for the exercise of power. It includes money or objects. Without material resources some actions just are not possible. Even when resources are available if you do not control their use then you lack this resources for your own action. Much power in our society derives from the control of material resources.
continued........
POWER IN NURSING
INTRODUCTION

Power comes from the Latin word 'potere' meaning to be able. Power is ability and -willingness to influence others in an effort to achieve goals. Powerful people are able to control and influence other people in ways that produce desired effects. In politics power includes the ability to mobilize individuals, special interest groups and legislators to support a policy initiative from the line of its conceptualization through the political process until it achieves its desired effect.

DEFINITION

"Power is the capacity to modify the conduct of others in a desired manner, while avoiding having one's own conduct modified in undesired ways by others".
Strens, 1980

Hersay conceptualised power as one's potential for influencing another person.
Power is the ability to get-things done. Power stems from the position a person occupies in the organization and not from the personal attributes",

French and Raven (1965) identified the types of power based on source. Power is derived from a variety of sources. There sources are called power bases.

1 . Legitimate power: It is based on manager's position. Followers believe that the manager has the right to influence them; their compliance follows. The higher one's position is, the more legitimate power one possesses.

It is often termed as authority that arises from an organisational structure and policies that place control in specific positions within that organisation. In general whoever holds the position has the same amount of authority. This authority may include making decisions on behalf of the organisation, acquiring or controlling information, having access to people of higher status or power, and control of the human and material resources of the organisation. The. person who holds legitimate power is usually given a title to indicate the authority that has been delegated. For example, the head nurse or the unit manager has legitimate power associated with the responsibility for-a patient care unit. The head nurse may develop and control the budget at the unit level, hire staff and meet regularly with those at the next higher level of organisation. As a charge nurse on the evening shift you would have authority delegated to you by the head nurse, you must have the authority to make all patient assignments and determine who will float to another unit for the evening.

2. Referent power: It is based on the manager's personality trait. It is a part of one's personal power. A manager who is admired, liked and identified with can induce compliance from followers.

It is based on personal characteristic ' s of a powerful person. The term charisma is also been used to describe referent power. This is the type of power often seen in political figures. In hospital settings, a very popular and outgoing nurse may influence decisions in ways that do not reflect any official position in the organisation.

Another aspect of referent power is appearing to be a powerful person. Behaviour that says "I am. confident, sure, of myself' tends to encourage others to give power to the individual.

The characteristics of a person with referent power are
i. Remaining calm in crisis.
ii. Controlling emotional responses.
iii. Acting firm determination.

Manner of dress has also been associated with referent power. Business people speak of "power dressing" or "power suit".

Much of this is based on the research of John Molloy who has examined the responses of people to various forms of dress (Molloy, 1988). His conclusions were that most people associate certain types of clothing with power.

The majority of powerful people in business environment dress conservatively and avoid extreme of fashion. Their clothing is of good quality and always well-cared for. They present themselves as business-like and avoid a social appearance in the business environment.

3. Reward power: It is grounded on the belief of followers that the manager can provide rewards for their compliance, with the manager's strategies, result in gains such as increased pay, recognition and so forth.

It helps people exert control through providing reward on the promise of record to others. Although the person with legitimate power may control rewards many other people also control reward in any given environment.

A client controls the rewards associated with positive feedback for the care that you provide, you control rewards of praise and recognition given to co-workers.

4. Expert power: Competence, knowledge, expertise 1pprise expert power. Followers’ are influenced because' their manager is seen as possessing the ability to facilitate accomplishment of their work assignment.
Experts are able to accomplish their ends because others recognise their knowledge and ability, and turn to them for guidance. When experts give an opinion it has more weight in any decision than an opinion given by someone without t expert knowledge.
continued......................

Saturday, July 19, 2008

research and nursing profession

Introduction
Nursing should become a research based profession.there is still much to be found out about the relationships between nurses,midwives and patients,selective patient care,team work and evalution of the effect on nurses and midwives of their own eductional process.research in these and many fields is necessary if the profession is to shape its own future.
the health care environment is changing at an unprecedented pace.nursing research provides knowledge base that empowers the nursing professionals to anticipate and meet these constantly shifting challenges and maintain our societal relevancy

Monday, July 14, 2008

Hello friends..

Hi friends,
I am shivanagouda introducing new web please check the this web site.If you are having any difficulty means you can ask on web.This site is mainly created for nurses student and staff nurses. this site will be mainly contains research,nursing eduction,all the speaciality subjects,history of nursing,contributors to nursing.