Power and feminism: a nursing science perspective

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Administration
• Organizational Theory

Background:

• Nurse executives hold significant influence in shaping healthcare reform and service delivery.
• Maximizing resources is crucial for nurse executives to effectively engineer change.
• Existing theories on power and feminism provide a framework for understanding leadership in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between power and feminism in female nurse executives.
• To investigate the correlation between feminism and specific power subscales, such as freedom to act intentionally.
• To contribute to the theoretical foundations of nursing science in administration.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study design was employed.
• The research was theoretically derived from Rogers' science and Barrett's power theory.
• Data analysis focused on identifying relationships and correlations between key variables.

Main Results:

• A weak relationship was observed between power and feminism among female nurse executives.
• A modest correlation was found between feminism and the 'freedom to act intentionally' power subscale.
• The findings suggest nuanced connections between feminist perspectives and perceived power in nursing leadership.

Conclusions:

• Nurse executives' power and feminist perspectives exhibit a complex, not straightforward, relationship.
• Feminism may be more closely associated with specific aspects of power, like autonomy.
• Further theoretical development is needed to fully understand nursing administration from a nursing science perspective.