What is politics?

 A neutral term
 Influencing allocation of scarce
resources, events, decisions
 Relationships within an organization
including norms, values & culture
 A process by which one influences
the decisions of others and exerts
control over situations and events
(Mason, et. al.)
 What is politics? -2
 Associated with conflicting values
 Necessary part of operating where
multiple interest groups are
competing for scarce resources of
money, time, supplies, personnel or
access to information.
Reasons why nurses should
know political strategies
* Influence the healthcare decisions/resources
* Change the image of nursing
* Replace distorted stereotypes, ie physician
handmaiden, cheap labor, self-sacrificing angel of
mercy, lewd sex object, vituperative harridan (abusive
worn-out horse).(Buresh and Gordon)
* Control the profession
* Bills to address the nursing shortage
* Mandatory Overtime
Political influence
 Allocation of scarce resources
- resources include money, time, personnel,
and materials
 Interpersonal endeavor
-involves skills of communication and persuasion
 Collective activity
-requires the support and action of many people
to bring effective politics to bear on a situation or
issue.
 Analysis and planning
-includes assessing the structure and functioning
of the sphere in which one is operating
 Images
-Future ability to be politically effective may hinge
There is no political gain in
silence and submission
Political action framework
 Politics in the workplace
 Politics in government
 Federal and state funding cuts
 Political influence of nurses

 Politics in financing
 Influences provision of patient care
 Changes in managed care

 Politics in the organization

 Organizational policy
 Nursing organizations

 Politics in the community

 Power and leadership
 Principle-centered power
 Leadership power
 Behaviors that activate
principle-centered leadership
 Get to know people
 Know your values and vision
 Sharpen your IPR Competence
 Use power to enable others
 Enlarge the sphere of influence and
connectedness
Image as power

Individual nurses
Nursing Profession
“If the public or legislators see
the profession of nursing as
powerful, the profession's ability
to achieve its goals and agendas
is enhanced.”
 Promoting Good Image as an
individual
 Appropriate introduction of self
 Appropriate attire
 Convey positive and energetic attitude
 Speak and Act appropriately
 Use facts and figures to demonstrate your point
 Know when to be at the right place at the right
time
 Develop powerful partnerships
 Make contact with “power brokers”
 Know who holds the power.
 Use power appropriately
What is power?
- The capacity to act
and make choices and
decisions
- The capacity to create
order and sustain
influence
Power and professional influence
Importance of power
Connection or network power
Informational power
Power-grabbing
Power plus vision
Increasing Power in Nursing
 Unity
- through dynamic professional
organization
 Networking
 Significance of Power in
Nursing
“To advance to full professional
status, nursing must concentrate on
getting its unique expertise recognized
and valued by society; by doing so,
nursing can gain a monopoly over
services in which nurses alone possess
expertise. Gaining such recognition and
control is one way of acquiring a strong
power base.”
…Patricia Schwirian
 Power Orientation
Regardless of the source, one may see power in
several ways:
 Power is good
 Power is resource-dependent
 Power is an instinctive drive
 Power is charisma
 Power is political
 Power is control and autonomy.

“The power base of people in combination with

their power orientation allows prediction of
how they will function and provides one with a
model to identify one’s own capacity and
style. It can also provide direction for what
people expect before they will give power.”
 Application of power and politics to
managing nursing care
 Politics of nursing care
 Improving nursing's power
 Seek opportunities
 Increase knowledge

 Use professional organizations to develop

skills
 Develop a systems perspective

 Covey's power rules

 Impact of power and politics on

nursing's future
 Why nurses should exercise
their political power?
 They have the number
 They have organizational structures in
place
 Most nurses are informed, active, and
dedicated people
 Covey’s Power Rules
 Never make a promise you cannot
keep
 Make meaningful promises only to do
better and better.
 Consider promises as a measure of
your integrity and faith.
 Personal integrity is a basis for
success with others.