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Building to Make a Difference: Advanced Practice Nurses' Experience of Power.
Research and Theory for Nursing Practice
|March 2, 2018
Summary
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) perceive power as a passion to improve patient care through collaborative, shared influence. They experience increased power, termed "power creep," when using soft power to foster positive healthcare changes.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Power is crucial for nurses to drive advancements in patient care and the nursing profession.
- Existing research on nursing power has not specifically explored the experiences of advanced practice nurses (APNs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experience of power among advanced practice nurses (APNs).
Main Methods:
- An interpretive phenomenology approach was employed for study design and data analysis.
- In-depth interviews were conducted with eight APNs from a Canadian tertiary care teaching organization.
Main Results:
- The overarching theme identified was "building to make a difference," reflecting APNs' drive to enact practice changes for improved patient care.
- This theme encompassed sub-themes of "building on," "building with," and "building for."
- APNs reported enhanced power, described as "power creep," when utilizing shared, soft power strategies to effect positive healthcare change.
Conclusions:
- Findings illuminate the unique perception and manifestation of power within the APN role.
- Understanding APN power dynamics can help organizations foster supportive environments that empower APNs and their colleagues.