Nurse Empowerment

Introduction

Nurses have a vital role in the rapidly changing healthcare setting, which are characterized by critical care patients and shortages of nurses to meet demands of patient care (Ning, Zhong, Libo, and Qiujie, 2009). Therefore, it is important to maintain good working environments for nurses. Empowerment is seen as an effective method to advance nurse’s satisfaction (Ning, Zhong, Libo, and Qiujie, 2009). Empowerment as stated by Wittmann-Price (2004), is “the process of reaching a more positive state of being, a state of relative freedom in choice by first acknowledging an affective experience of oppression”. The purpose of this paper is to write a narrative about an experience as a student nurse practicing in a clinical setting where we felt oppressed due to class, race, cultural or gender biases. This narrative will be analyzed using relevant concepts in the literature.

Narrative

My experience happened when I was in second year nursing. We are just starting our clinical rotations in KGH. At that time, our instructors assigned us one patient to do our nursing care. The goals for the day are to do our head to toe assessments and be able to chart our findings. Throughout the shift, we have a co-assigned nurse that will aid us in our duties for the day. I did what I was supposed to do and charted accordingly. After the end of the shift I thought that I did everything right, until one of my classmates told me that my nurse talked to her and stating that I did not do a good job and telling her that I do not know how to chart. Upon hearing, this from my classmate I did not say anything to my clinical instructor and just let it slide. I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I thought that I cannot change what happened and I ...

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...against oppressors I must recognized that I am being oppressed. I also must learn to change my attitudes towards my oppressors and change the way I am responding and thinking.

Conclusion

Empowerment is a vital factor in creating a positive working environment. Nurses that see their work environment as empowering are more likely to provide quality health care. Positive environments are important for the future of nursing development (Ning, Zhong, Libo, and Qiujie, 2009). Nurses should not only have the ability to recognized differences but also they must have the capacity to transform and change structures within the profession in order to achieved emancipation. To achieve empowerment they must take steps to overcome oppression. They must face their fears and be able to make dialogue with their oppressors and let them know that their actions are unacceptable.