Group Project to Critically Analyze the Concept of Empowerment from an Enquiry Based Learning Perspective

This is when vulnerable patients, carers and service users are given the right to make their own choices regarding their care plan and they are starting to control their own lives. For example, a way of empowering a service user is by promoting choice and working in partnership with individuals receiving care. Another example is Promoting active and full participation in the planning of their care

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

The need for older people to have their autonomy to make a decision and be an active partner in the decision making process must be recognised and is an essential component in person centred care. ‘’The older person and family have the right to make informed decisions about all aspects of their care and the nurse respects the level of participation desired’’ (An Bord Altranais, 2009). Nurses most realise the importance of patients participation in their care and strive to uphold it as a principle of person centred care, ‘’Lack of time and/or restrictions on patients choice and involvement, was listed as the number 1 factor to hinder quality nursing care’’ (An Bord Altranais, 2009). As nurses it is our responsibility to take the time to overcome communication barriers, for example, a hearing or speech deficit. The nurse can opt to use non-verbal communication to facilitate the decision making process for the patient. Patients are entitled to information about every aspect of their care and should be frequently updated. Information about management and prevention of conditions, procedures, assessments and investigations ,diagnosis, treatment, follow on care, referrals and services available to patients( i.e. health, social) should all be disclosed to patient (Department of Health,2001). If they

In many ways, empowerment embodies principles effective managers and leaders have practiced for years. Two new driving forces in business, increased diversity and high-speed change, magnify the need for empowerment. Empowering people is now indispensable for effective personal productivity and maximum team success.

Introduction - “Empowerment” means you can boost someone’s confidence and promote choice among the service users. It is important to have empowerment in a care home as it can help the service users voice their opinion and make important issues known.

Empowerment of individuals is important when planning care as this is the way in which a health or social care worker will encourage an individual to make decisions and take control of their own life. Empowerment is a process that builds a person's self-esteem and confidence in their ability to make decisions. This can also be linked to promotion of

| Describe ways in which care workers can empower Individuals (P3)Explain why it is important to take individual circumstances into account when planning care that will empower an individual, using relevant example from health and social care (P4)Discuss the extent to which individual circumstances can be taken into account when planning care that will empower them, using relevant examples from health and social care (M2)Assess the potential difficulties in taking individual circumstances into account when planning care that will empower an individual, making suggestions for improvement (D2)

College of Nursing Program outcome: “Protect the rights of people to receive optimum care and make informed decisions affecting their health welfare.”

“The purpose of public policy is to direct problems to government and secure government’s response, while politics is the use of influence to direct the responses toward goals” (Milstead, 2013, p. 12). Policies are used as guidelines to reach a common goal. In healthcare, policies can affect and have an impact on how we provide care for our patients’. For this reason, it is important for nurses to be knowledgeable and involved in important healthcare decisions. “Knowledgeable nurses in advanced practice must demonstrate their commitment to action by being a part of relevant decisions that will ensure the delivery of quality health care by appropriate providers in a cost-effective manner” (Milstead, 2013, p. 1).

As healthcare professionals or “experts”, nurses can often, with the best of intentions, deprive clients of autonomy by monopolising their care, believing that we are acting in their best interests. In Thomas’ case we could identify his smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, low motivation and possible unresolved grief stemming from the death of his daughter as problems. However, the essence of the Health Belief Model is that of empowerment, we act as facilitators to support our clients in identifying areas they may wish to change (Kiger 2004). While still undoubtedly the experts, we do not use our knowledge to hold ourselves apart, but to act as facilitators and catalysts for changing to more positive health behaviours. Thomas’ perceptions of his problems may be very different to our own, or he may feel unable to change. So the issue for the practitioner becomes not, “how do we fix the problem?” but, “how do we assist our clients in identifying problem areas they may wish to change and empower them to make that change?” In order to see how this may be achieved, the author will now discuss the HBM as a framework to enable a nurse to assist clients in this manner.

Empowerment is when individuals are given greater control over decisions and actions that will affect their health. Empowerment is important when working in partnership within health and social care settings, as it can allow honest relationships to develop between service users and

The healthcare industry has intensely advanced throughout the world, in turn changing the principles that incorporate the practice and culture of nursing practice. Altering the model of care to a patient-centered mode signifies an organizational culture shift and requires the participation of executives at the senior level (Cliff, 2012). To practice this care to provide the best care possible, it goes beyond the nurse to all healthcare professionals and senior leadership. The days of patients and nurses following a physician’s order without favor to care has now loaned themselves to more of an interdisciplinary approach to practice. Though, it is encouraged that the patient makes decisions for themselves, after receiving the proper education and information on their condition. Part of the patient-centered care is to be the patients’ advocate, by letting them know you are there for them when they are unable to speak and advocate for themselves and what is in their best interest. That goes in hand with educating them on “self-management of care, health literacy, patient, and family education through nurse-patient communication and interaction (Finkelman & Kenner, 2016, p. 271).”

Moreover, increasing costs of healthcare delivery and emerging trends toward patient empowerment and patient-centered care in order to achieve higher quality healthcare, needs patients to play a more active role in their

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

The theory of community empowerment is a middle range theory and was originally designed to improve the health of people in their communities. Like other nursing theories, this theory could easily be adapted to accommodate a different situation from its original intent. The theory contains three essential aspects in its framework: involvement, lay workers, and reciprocal health. This theory is designed to incorporate and empower everyone involved.