The purpose of this paper is to create a concept analysis and identify a nursing concept that is within a nursing theory. A concept analysis is a process where concepts and their characteristics are researched and clarified. The eight steps on conducting a concept analysis include selection of a concept used in a nursing theory, identification of the aims or purposes of the analysis, identification of possible use of the selected concept, determination of defining attributes, identification of model cases, identification of antecedents and consequences, and lastly definition of empirical referents (Walker & Avant, 2011). The nursing concept selected for this paper is “empowerment” within the nursing profession. The nursing theory from which the empowerment concept was obtained is Kanter’s Theory on Structural Empowerment. In order to empower someone, an individual needs the tools and resources to feel powered. According to Laschinger, Gilbert, Smith, & Leslie (2010), Kanter defines power as the ability to mobilize information, resources and support to get things done in an organization. The role of management is to provide employees with power tools that empower them to maximize their ability to accomplish their work in a meaningful way. Kanter goes on to describe two primary empowerment structures in organizations, first being the structure of opportunity and second the structure of power. The structure of opportunity relates to job conditions that provide
Theory can be defined as the explanation of an event in which constructs and concepts are identified, relationships are proposed and predictions are made; it is a set of interpretative assumptions, principals or propositions that help explain or guide action. (McEwen & Wills, 2014, p521) Concepts occur in three steps; originating as a thought which are abstract or concrete in nature, progressing to a stage in which words and meaning are given to the concept, and lastly it is operationalized becoming a variable to be used tested during research. (McEwen & Wills, 2014, p50) According to McEwen, & Wills, (2014), a concept analysis identifies, clarifies and explores the meaning of concepts in order to promote understanding which aids in the development of conceptual frameworks, theories and research studies. (p55) Concepts relative to nursing include quality of life, blood pressure, hope, job satisfaction and pain.
Theory development stems from personal experiences, intuition, and knowledge of the theorist (Burns et al., 2013). When a scholar develops a theory, it has to be tested through research. The findings of the study are then presented to experts in the area of academics and the field of practice (Burns et al., 2013). The presentation of the findings allows experts to provide constructive criticism, highlight the pros and cons of the theory, and acknowledge whether or not the theory can be accepted as a guide to practice. This theory evaluation paper will give the reader a theory description, theory analysis, and an assessment of Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory of nursing (Alligood et al., 2010).
Empowerment is a concept we all have heard at one time or another it is utilized in numerous professions and specialties. Analysis of this concept will further understanding of empowerment for nursing professionals in areas from research, theory development or practice. Exploring the attributes, consequences, implications and model cases of empowerment can assist the nursing professional in utilizing empowerment to its fullest potential. Within the scope of nursing, empowerment can be seen not purely as how it relates to the client, or the nurse but also how it relates to both the client and the nurse (Rodwell 1996). The Walker-Avant method was used to analyze this concept, as it was the most commonly seen in nursing literature (McEwen &
Empowering the nursing team allows them to feel important and become vested in the change process. Transformational leaders value employee contributions, promote quality work performance and job satisfaction (Utley, Anderson & Atwell, 2011). Empowering employees allows them to take responsibility and feel that they play an important role in accomplishing the set goal. This increases job enrichment and therefore affects job satisfaction. Another way to empower the nursing staff is to assist them in developing their own leadership skills. “Nurse managers should also consider developing junior staff’s leadership skills, particularly in situations where there are nursing shortages or where nurses are reluctant to undertake leadership roles. Leadership in nursing is critical to ensuring consistent standards across all aspects of care and building an environment for
How might you apply empowerment in your community nursing practice? Reply to two colleagues' posts.
B.S. is an 81 year old Caucasian female presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting in the emergency room on February 3, 2013. B.S. has a history of glaucoma, hypothyroidism, degenerative arthritis and diverticulosis. She has allergies to iodine and vicodin. B.S. is admitted for diverticulitis with possible partial bowel obstruction and hydronephrosis. B.S. was admitted on February 3, 2013 here at Verdugo Hills Hospital.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), specifically those involving multi-drug resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as higher cost of healthcare and longer length of hospital stays for patients. Each year, millions of people acquire infections while receiving care, treatment, and services in hospitals and other health care organizations.
It is evident that nursing theorists, scholars and health care professions have varying interpretations of what caring is or should be. In the middle of all these disparity, caring is a vital component of the nursing practice and the key to choosing the concept of caring is because it is very essential when it comes to health care. This paper tries to make clear the concept of caring in the field of nursing and it makes use of the Walker and Avant outline to support the concept. It starts with recognizing the concept and its functions. It then identifies three emerging attributes of caring will be identified and a description of each will be given. At last, the paper will recognize antecedents, the effects or consequences and
Specialty certified nurse all agree that they “feel more confident in their clinical abilities, collaborate better with physician’s a report a higher level of empowerment” (Drenkard, 2013, p.120). Nurses who are empowered experience job satisfaction, because of their increased confidence; lower stress, because of their enhanced knowledge; less burnout, because of their competency (Krapohl et al, 2011, Bonner, Douglas & Hayes, 2014). The Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment offers the nurse: 1.) opportunity for advancement, 2.) access to information, 3.) access to support for job responsibilities and decision and 4.) access to resources required for the job. Fostering the nurses’ self-perception of empowerment. Finding suggest that a benefit to having certified nurses ensure national best practice standard, as they are better able to recognize and respond to a patient experiencing a crisis resulting in a more positive patient outcome (Ambrose et al.,
Empowerment is an issue that is imperative to the change process. We touched on the idea of empowerment while exploring power, and politics in the workplace. Empowerment is important in regards to The Heart Of
In their article, The relationship between nurses' perceptions of empowerment and patient satisfaction, Donahue, Piazza, Griffin, Dykes, and Fitzpatrick (2008) utilize a descriptive correlational design to describe nurses’ perceptions of empowerment and patient satisfaction and to identify and examine relationships among these variables (Grove, Gray, and Burns, 2015). In their introduction to the article, the authors cite the need for nurse executives to establish a culture that supports autonomy and control and one that encourages collaborative relationships in the entire organization (Donahue, et al., 2008). The authors also state that a positive work environment is a key to nurse recruitment and
The meaning of concept analysis is how nursing “explores the meaning of concepts to promote understanding” (McEwen, & Wills, 2010). Pain continues to be a common problem within health care and one of the most treat problems when seeking medical treatment. The concept analysis consist of several steps to complete the process. The steps of the concept analysis are as follows: “1. select the concept 2. Determine the aims or purpose of analysis 3. Identify all the uses of the concept possible 4. Determine the defining attributes 5. Identify model cases 6. Identify borderline, related, contrary, inverted, and illegitimate cases 7. Identify antecedents, and consequences 8. Define empirical references” (McEwen, & Wills,
Theory is a cluster of concept or ideas that propose a view concerning a phenomenon to guide nursing practice (Chitty, 2005). The four concepts basic to nursing that are incorporated in this paper are nursing, person, health, and environment (Cherry & Jacob, 2005). The goal of this paper is to describe the core concept of nursing shared amongst Dorothea Orem and Virginia Henderson’s theories. The comparison and analysis of concept definitions between these two theories will also examined. Finally Henderson’s theory of concept statement, metaparadigm and her philosophy will be explored.
Nurses play a very important roles in patient care. They have the power to improve the quality of care, thus improving patient outcomes. According to Fackler, Chambers, and Bourbonniere (2015), the phenomenon, which is stated in this study, is that the concept of power is usually viewed by nurses ' perception of their work environment; the environment that allows them to take proper care of their patients. Furthermore, based on the social theory that power is defined as the capacity to achieve goals, the authors believe that if the nurses ' capacity to achieve goals for themselves and their patients culminates in a positive conclusion, then power becomes an essential phenomenon to explore (Fackler et al., 2015).
According to Sieloff and Raph (2011), nursing management theories are used to describe, explain, predict or prescribe nursing acts. There are a variety of ways to solve a nursing problem or issue, but nursing management theories are specifically designed for issues nurses and nurse managers come across on a daily basis. Hildebrandt and Persily’s theory of community empowerment is a perfect example of how nursing management could overcome the challenges of relocating to a new unit.