Organizational Position and Structural Empowerment in Chinese Community Nursing: An Interpretive Case Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Organizational Behavior
• Sociology

Background:

• Nurse empowerment is crucial for professional growth and job satisfaction.
• Structural dimensions of nurse empowerment are underexplored in China's community nursing sector.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how formal hierarchies and informal dynamics influence community nurses' power in nonward settings.
• To apply Kanter's structural empowerment theory to understand these influences.

Main Methods:

• Interpretive case study in Shenzhen, China.
• 24 semistructured remote interviews and unstructured observations.
• Analysis guided by Kanter's structural empowerment theory.

Main Results:

• Identified four themes: dual-function caregiving roles, entitlement to formal power, variation in informal roles, and inequities in informal power.
• Demonstrated how organizational structures and relationships impact access to supplies, information, support, and opportunities.
• Revealed tensions between formal empowerment structures and informal dynamics causing power asymmetries.

Conclusions:

• Organizational structures and interpersonal dynamics significantly shape nurse empowerment in community settings.
• Informal dynamics can perpetuate power inequities despite formal empowerment initiatives.
• Policy and managerial reforms are needed to foster inclusive and ethical organizational cultures for community nurses.