RESUMO
The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore nurses' experiences of empowerment in acute care hospital settings. Twelve nurses, including chief nurse executives, nursing care coordinators, and staff nurses were interviewed. Transcriptions of the audiotaped interviews were analyzed for emerging themes. Empowerment emerged as a major factor in continuing growth in the practice of professional nursing within a nurturing and caring environment. A major barrier to empowerment was the hospitals' hierarchical, bureaucratic systems. Nurses, working collectively with clients, other health care providers, and legislators, can create caring systems that promote trust, freedom of practice, and quality health care. This work is both the obligation and the challenge of empowerment.
Assuntos
Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar , Poder Psicológico , Adulto , Demografia , Hospitais Públicos , Hospitais Filantrópicos , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pesquisa em EnfermagemRESUMO
1. Nurses can enhance their abilities to formulate and implement health policy through the use of the assessment part of the nursing process. 2. Problem definition, the first step in policy development, includes identifying the issues, discussing and framing the issues, analyzing data and resources, and deciding on a problem definition. 3. Problem definition develops as an interaction between an instrumental, or cognitive, component and an expressive component, which represents the contextual setting of the problem. 4. Problem definitions change over a course of events. Current solutions may lead to new concerns and issues that then require new problem definitions.
Assuntos
Diretrizes para o Planejamento em Saúde , Política de Saúde , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros , Processo de Enfermagem , Defesa do Paciente , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Humanos , Resolução de Problemas , Papel (figurativo)RESUMO
Shifts in power within the nursing profession and the health care system raise questions as to how nursing will develop and use its power. As a model for political action, empowerment involves the development of three dimensions; (a) raising the conscious of socio-political realities; (b) positive self-esteem; and (c) political skills needed to negotiate and change the health care system. This paper discusses these dimensions as they relate to nurses within a feminist context.
