Strategies to mobilize nurse's power: an organizational perspective

For too long nurses have been reluctant to mobilize their potential power in health care organizations. Questions surrounding nursing power in the organization are only just beginning to be asked. This paper presents a brief review of three well known theoretical perspectives on power followed by several organizational and individual power strategies that will be useful to nursing managers in a variety of health care settings. Nurses, using power strategies, will be able to manoeuvre in the bureaucratic environment and have a substantial impact on decisions that will affect nursing practice and thus nursing care.