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.
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