UNIT =11

Prepared By
Samjhana Neupane
Msc. Nursing 2nd year
SNSR
 INTRODUCTION

• Power was once considered a taboo in nursing.

• In the earliest years, the exercise of power was
considered inappropriate, unladylike, and
unprofessional.
• Many decisions about nursing education and
practice were often made by persons outside of
nursing.
• Nurses began to exercise their collective
power with the rise of nursing leaders and the
development of organizations that evolved into
the American Nurses‘ Association and the
National League for Nursing.

• Power gives one the potential to change the

attitudes and behaviors of individual people
and groups.

• Power has a positive and a negative face.

• The negative face of power is the ―I win, you
lose”.

• Politics is the art of using power wisely. It

requires clear decision making, assertiveness,
accountability, and the willingness to express
one‘s own views.
 DEFINITIONS:

• Power is derived from the Latin verb potere

(to be able); thus power may be appropriately
defined as that which enables one to
accomplish goals.
• Power can also be defined as the capacity to
act or the strength and potency to accomplish
something.
• Power is the ability to influence others
through the use of energy and strength.
 THE NEED FOR POWER:

• To provide competent, humanistic, and affordable

care to people
• To participate in health care policy development
• To gain leverage proportionate with their numbers
• To ensure that nursing is an attractive career choice
for all who want to provide care, influence, and
improve nursing, heath care, and health policy.
 LEVELS OF POWER:

• The power to be (being)- The maintenance of a

purely vegetative existence requires minimum
force (exist).
• The power of self-affirmation- Efforts to define
self and establish significance require greater
force than that required for existence.
• The power of self-assertion- Compelling others to
reckon with one‘s individuality and rights requires
greater force than that needed for self affirmation.
• The power of aggression- Moving into and taking
possession of another‘s territory requires force
beyond that needed to define personal identity and
rights
• The power of violence-Application of harmful force
against another person or property reflects a disturbed

definition of self, other, and property.

 POWER PRINCIPLES

• Power is dynamic and elusive and must be

continuously replenished.
• Power can be obtained only through active means;
that is, it must be expressed against resistance and
wrested from opponents.
• A power oriented manager uses any means of control
that will manipulate circumstances in her/his favour.
• To win in the game of organizational politics
requires a person’s total commitment to goals.
• Restraint is needed to use power appropriate. A
person should use only as much force as
needed to achieve desired objectives.
 TYPES OF POWER:

• According to French and Raven (1959), the

following are the types of power.
Information Reward
Power Power

TYPES OF Coercive
POWER Power

Expert Legitimate
Power Power

Referent
Power
 1. Reward power

• Reward power is obtained by the ability to grant favors

or reward others with whatever they value.
• The arsenal of rewards that a manager can dispense to
get employees to work toward meeting organizational
goals is very broad.
• Positive leadership through rewards tends to develop a
great deal of loyalty and devotion toward leaders. Nurse
Managers have a strong reward power base.
 Punishment or coercive power:

• Opposite of reward power .

• Based on fear of punishment if the manager‘s
expectations are not met.
• The manager may obtain compliance through threats
of transfer, layoff, demotion, or dismissal.
• The focus of coercive power is not to assist others to
improve or contribute more to the work team, but
instead specifically to hurt and punish others.
 Legitimate power

• Legitimate power is position power.

• Authority is also called legitimate power.

• It is the power gained by a title or official
position within an organization.
 4. Expert power:

• Expert power is gained through knowledge, expertise, or

experience.
• Having critical knowledge allows a manager to gain
power over others who need that knowledge.
• This type of power is limited to a specialized area.
• For example, someone with vast expertise in music would
be powerful only in that area, not in another
specialization.
 5. REFERENT POWER

• Referent power is power a person has because others

identify with that leader or with what that leader
symbolizes.
• Referent power also occurs when one gives other
person feelings of personal acceptance or approval.
• It may be obtained through association with the
powerful.
• People may also develop referent power because
others perceive them as powerful.
 6. Informational power:

• This source of power is obtained when people have

information that others must have in order to
accomplish their goals.
• The person with the most information is listened and
respected.
• We need to determine if it is legitimate information
coming from the person who is sharing it.
• The information coming from someone in a
management position should be valued and
recognized as a source of power as opposed to
information from someone who does not have
legitimate right to the information.
SOURCES OF POWER

Types
Referent
Legitimate
Coercive
Reward
Expert
Charismatic
Informational
Self

Sources
Associations with others
Position
Fear
Ability to grant favour
Knowledge and skill
Personal
The need for information
Maturity
 WAYS TO ACHIEVE POWER:

• Broad human networks: the more networks and the

more extensive they are, the more power potential.
• Broad information networks: the more diverse
types of information controlled the more power.
• Multiple formal and informal leadership roles:
high engagement and visibility bring increased
power.
• Ability to assess situations accurately and to solve
problems.
• Authority over others and resources via legitimate
work organizational roles.
• Vision for the future and creativity
• Ability to grant services to others, which builds debts.
• Expertise that is sought by others.
 EXERCISING POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THE
WORKPLACE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS:

• To use influence effectively in any organization, one

must understand how the system works and develop
organizational strategies.
• Developing organizational savvy includes identifying
the real decision makers and those persons who have a
high level of influence with the decision makers.
• Recognize the informal leaders within any organization.
• Collegiality and collaboration:
• An empowering attitude:
• Developing coalitions:
• Negotiating:
 POWER TACTICS

• 1. Pressure- using warning, repeated demand and

threat to influence the behavior of other person.
• Example: Salary will be deducted if the target is not
achieved.
• 2. Personal Appeal - it refers to help another person
because you know them and they have asked for your
help that is personal magnetism.
• Example : as you have good computer knowledge,
can you help me out with the presentation making
• 3. Rational Persuasion - using facts , data and
logical arguments to try to convince others that your
point of view is the best alternative.
• Example : asking for raise in salary due to higher
skills
• 4. Ingratiation - using flattering, praise or friendly
behavior prior to making a request.

• Example : requesting a person after using flattery or

praise.
5. Inspirational Appeal - developing emotional
commitment by appealing to a target‘s values, needs,
hopes and aspirations.
• Example: motivating group member to do the work
by explaining the benefits of accomplishing the target
6. Consultation - increasing the target support
by involving him/her in deciding how they will
accomplish their plan .Example: to involve a
person in decision making so as to involve him
and make him do work.
7. Coalitions - enlisting the aid or support of others to
persuade the target to agree.Example: working together
for one goal
8. Exchange - rewarding the target with benefits or
favors in exchange for following a request.
Example: explaining organizational behavior in
exchange of Q.T.M
9. Legitimacy - relying on your authority position or
saying a request accords with organizational policies or
rules.Example: role of Jailer on the duty.
 EMPOWERMENT

• Definition:
• Empowerment is a sense of having both the ability
and the opportunity to act effectively.
• Empowerment is a process or strategy the goal of
which is to change the nature and distribution of
power in a specific context. It is a group activity that
increases political and social consciousness, is based
on the need for autonomy, and is accomplished with
continuing cycles of assessment and action.
• Nursing organizations seek to empower nurses;
nurses endeavour to empower patients to seek and
adopt healthy lifestyles.
Empowerment ladder:
 Self-
confidence
Ability to
Become
control life
empowered.
situations

Show Refuse to be a
initiative victim

Resolve Value self

conflict and others

Be a risk
Be creative
taker
 TOOLS FOR IMPROVING POWER
IMAGE:
Communication skills
• Most basic tool for
communication is verbal which
helps to define power image.
• Manager who are good listeners
develop reputations for being fair
and consistent.
• When nonverbal and verbal
messages conflict, the nonverbal
message is more powerful.
• same communication skills nurses
learn to ensure effective
interaction with patients and
families.
• Listening skills are essential
leadership skills.
Networking
• is an important power strategy
and political skill.
• A network is a system of
contacts that is developed,
nurtured, and maintained as
sources of information, advice,
and moral support.
• It supports the empowerment
of participants through
interaction and the refinement
of their interpersonal skills..
Mentoring
• Mentors are competent,
experienced professionals who
develop a relationship with a
novice for the purpose of
providing advice, support,
information, and feedback to
encourage the development of
another individual.
 Developing expertise:
Goal setting: must not be limited to clinical
knowledge. Leadership and
Goal setting is another power strategy.
communication skills are essential to
Every nurse knows about setting goals.
the effective exercise of power in a
Nurse may be expected to write annual
range of nursing roles. Education and
goals for performance reviews at work.
practice provide the means for
Goals help one to know if what was
developing such expertise in any of the
planned was actually accomplished.
domains of nursing: clinical practice,
education, research, and management.
 POLITICS

Definition:
It is a process through which one tries
successfully or unsuccessfully to reach a goal.
• Political nursing:
Political nursing is defined as the use of
knowledge about power processes and
strategies to influence the nature and direction
of health care and professional nursing.
Anderson, Anderson & Glanze, 1998
Political Action Spheres

The work
place

Local ,State
Professional
and federal
Organization
government

Community
 THE FOUR STAGES OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR
THE PROFESSION OF NURSING

1.Buy- in: Recognizing the importance of activism.

2. Self-interest: Developing and using political
expertise to further the profession‘s self interests.
3. Political sophistication: Moving beyond self-
interests, recognizing the need for activism on
behalf of the public.
4. Leading the way: Providing true leadership on
broad healthcare interests.
POLITICAL ANALYSES
 COMPONENTS OF POLITICAL
ANALYSIS:
Identify and analyze the problem

Outline and analyze proposed solution

Understand the background, including its history and

attempts to solve the problem

Locate the political situation and its structure

Evaluate the stakeholders

Conduct a values assessment

Ascertain financial and personnel needs to attain

goals

Analyze power bases

 POLITICAL STRATEGIES:

• After the political analysis is completed, a plan of

action with strategies is developed.
• Strategies are the plans to achieve political and policy
goals.
• To achieve goals it is useful to follow these tactics.
• Persistence
• Look at big picture
• Frame issue adequately:
• Develop and use networks:
• Assess time
• Collaborate
• Prepare to take risks
• Understand the opposition
• Build your own team
• Choose your second-in command carefully
• Establish alliances with superiors and peers
 REFERENCES:
• Chandra.D.S (2019). “A comprehensive textbook of
nursing management”. 2nd edition.Emmes Publisher.
Page no 635-650
• Kumar.D et.al(2011). “Textbook of Nursing
Management”. Page no676-690
• https://
www.slideshare.net/mahesh0926/power-and-politicss
s
• https://www.slideshare.net/harshrastogi1/power-amp-
politics-ppt