From Power to Empowerment:
paradigm shift in leadership
Helen Connors, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF
University of Kansas, School of Nursing
and Center for Health Informatics
Objectives
• Discuss a historical review of nurses’ power
• Describe the kinds of power nurses need for
optimum impact
• Create a culture of empowerment
Looking Back to Improve the Future
Mother of Modern Nursing
In attempting to arrive at the truth, I
have applied everywhere for
information, but in scarcely an instance
have I been able to obtain hospital
records fit for any purposes of
comparison. If they could be obtained
they would enable us to decide many
other questions besides the ones alluded
to. They would show the subscribers how
their money was being spent, what
amount of good was really being done
with it, or whether the money was not
doing mischief rather than good.”
Florence Nightingale (1863).
Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts and Green:
Notes on Hospitals, 1863, London, p. 176
First Nurse Informatician
Lillian Wald & Mary Breckenridge
Power
• Having control, influence, or domination over
something or someone.
• The ability to get things done, to mobilize
resources, to get and use whatever is needed
to meet one’s goals.
• Includes - caring practices by nurses which are
used to empower patients (Benner, 2001).
Putting Nurse’s Power in Context
• Social and Cultural
– Women’s work
– Domestic role
– Done in private
• Educational
– Taught in hospitals
– By physicians
– Multiple entry levels
Multiple Levels of Power
• Macro-level: systems,
organizational, societal
– Professional associations
– Nursing schools
•
Meso-level: Power also
operates in
– City, county, state, and
institution decisions about
resources and regulations
– Large bureaucratic
organizations, corporations,
ethnic or minority groups
• Micro-level:
– Interpersonal or relational
levels
Types of Power
• Legitimate – a position of power
• Informational(Expert) –comes from ones
experiences, skills, knowledge
• Coercive – conveyed through fear
• Referent- comes from being trusted and
respected
• Charisma – power legitimized by a leader’s
exceptional characteristics
Domains of Power
• Content – ability to act according to one’s
knowledge and judgement (autonomy)
• Context – control of practice/work
environment
• Competence of nursing practice- education
and expertise
Power and Empowerment
Power
Empowerment
Types of Empowerment
• Structural Empowerment – managerial
practices
• Personal Empowerment – psychological state
Kanter RM. Men and Women of the Corporation. 2nd ed. New York, NY: BasicBooks; 1993
Structural Empowerment
• Access to resources
• Access to all information to get the job done
as well as about the organization
• Support for job responsibilities and decision
making
• Opportunity for professional growth and
development
Kanter RM. Men and Women of the Corporation. 2nd ed. New York, NY:
BasicBooks; 1993
Personal Empowerment
•
•
•
•
Confidence in one’s own abilities
Access to power, authority and influence
Ability to make one’s own decisions
Employing your strength when dealing with
others
• Having a sense of connectedness and kindness
Kanter, 1993
The Empowered Nurse
• Nurses should practice to the full extent of
their education and training (transforming
practice).
• Nurses should be full partners, with physicians
and other health professionals, in redesigning
health care (transforming leadership)
• What does an empowered nurse look like?
(IOM, The Future of Nursing: Leading change, advancing health, 2010)
The Empowered Student
• Nurses should achieve higher levels of
education and training through improved
education systems that promotes seamless
academic progression (transforming
education).
• How can we empower students?
(IOM, The Future of Nursing: Leading change, advancing health, 2010)
The Empowered Patient
• The public is increasingly aware that they
must assume a greater role in health care
issues.
• Do you think patients want to be empowered?
• What do patients/consumers need to be
empowered?
Empowered Patient APP
Facts from Pew Research Center
• 87% of U.S. adults use the internet.
• 72% of internet users say they looked online for
health information.
• Most commonly-researched topics are specific
diseases or conditions; treatments or procedures;
and doctors or other health professionals.
• 60% of U.S. adults say they track their weight, diet,
or exercise routine.
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/health-fact-sheet/
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussions
Competence
Autonomy
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussions
Just
Culture
Management
Leadership
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussions
Caring
Positive
nursing
image
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussions
Life-long
learning
Professional
development
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussions
Boards
Community
outreach
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussion
Mange/Lead
Community
Outreach
Positive
image
KEY ACTIONS
First 3 Years
Prof Dev
Autonomy
Mind-Mapping
For use with Table Discussion
Mange/Lead
Community
Outreach
Positive
image
SUCCESS FACTORS
3 –Year Priorities
Prof Dev
Autonomy
Group Work