2005, Cilt 12, Sayı 2, Sayfa(lar) 026-042
Department of Management of Nursing, Perceived and Preference Leader Power Type by Charge Nurses
Arş.Gör. Gülbahar KORKMAZ1, Doç.Dr. Süheyla ABAAN2
1Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Yüksekokulu Halk Sağlığı Hemşireliği Anabilim Dalı
2Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Yüksekokulu Hemşirelikte Yönetim Anabilim Dalı
Keywords: Power, nursing management, nurse manager

Nurses need to understand power because power is critical for the successful functioning of departments and the organization. Using power is not optional because power is the ability to have influence in all work settings. Power is a resource to be used by a department to achieve its goals (1). This study investigated how 82 Charge Nurses in 3 Ankara hospitals perceived the current power base of their Hospital Nurse Mangers and what these same charge Nurses preferred their hospital Nurse Managers to have as their power base.

The investigators used a paper pencil instrument of 13 items scored on a Likert scale to asses power base. The instrument was based on French and Raven's research (13 ) using five bases of power; reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, expert power and referent power as measured in the Perceived Leader Power Index. The instrument, which was developed by Ragins (9), adapted into Turkish by Sungurlu (14). In order to identify the preferred type of power base, the style of statement of the same items is changed according to the preferred situation. An analysis of data indicated that the type of power Charge nurses most frequently perceived the Hospital Nurse manager to have as a current power base was legitimate power. On the other hand these same charge nurses preferred that their Hospital nurse managers have supported power types (reward power, expert power and referent power) as their power base. Findings suggested the need for the assessment of power base and to formulate new strategies to use reward-referent-expert power bases in these hospitals by NMs. It is also important to identify and develop sensitivity for the consequences of legitimate base.