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Related Experiment Videos

How assertive are nurses in the workplace? A preliminary pilot study.

Fiona Timmins1, Catherine McCabe

  • 1Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, Trinity College, 24 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. timmins@tcd.ie

Journal of Nursing Management
|December 23, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Nurses often exhibit passive behaviors, like agreeing with others and giving compliments, rather than assertive actions such as disagreeing or offering criticism. Assertiveness in nursing is a skill influenced by workplace dynamics.

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Area of Science:

  • Nursing
  • Behavioral Science
  • Healthcare Professions

Background:

  • The nursing profession, predominantly female, faces societal expectations of subservience and a "nice" image, potentially hindering assertive behavior.
  • Limited empirical data exists on the assertive skills of contemporary practicing nurses.
  • Traditional roles and public perception may impede nurses' capacity for assertiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate an instrument measuring assertive behavior in nurses.
  • To provide empirical evidence on the current state of nurses' assertive conduct.

Main Methods:

  • A 44-item questionnaire was utilized to gather data.
  • The study involved 27 registered nurses.

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Main Results:

  • Nurses reported high levels of allowing others to express opinions, complimenting colleagues, and saying no.
  • Findings indicate a tendency towards passive behavior, aligning with the "nice nurse" stereotype.
  • Nurses demonstrated less proficiency in disagreeing with others and delivering constructive criticism.
  • Variations in assertive behaviors were observed across different nursing groups.

Conclusions:

  • Assertive behavior in nursing is a situational skill, influenced by interpersonal dynamics and professional roles.
  • Workplace factors, including colleagues and the overall environment, significantly impact the expression of assertive behaviors.