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The Nursing Culture Of Not Sharing Power With Patients Essay

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Knowledge is seen as power, patients having knowledge gives them the power to be able to make informed health decisions (Henderson, 2003). Without any or limited knowledge, patients become vulnerable and are unable to make informed decisions about their health. The nursing culture of not sharing power with patients, causing an imbalance with the nurse having the all the power and the patient feeling powerless, with a lack of control and affecting how the nurses care for these patients. Nurses and patients need to work together to achieve the best outcome for the patient (Henderson, 2003)

Power is seen as the control or influence over someone or something (Henderson, 2002). When there is a power imbalance, one party of the relationship has more control and influence over the other. A patient came onto the ward, she required a bariatric bed, commode and chair. The nurse decided to put a catheter in, with the reason being unknown. It took multiple attempts from multiple different nurses to get the catheter in. Once they got it in, the following morning the doctors told them to remove it. The nurse did not inform the patient as to why she thought she needed a catheter. The nurse just told the patient that she is going to insert it. The patient was not given enough information about what was happening to be able to challenge or question what the nurse was doing. Questions are not being asked to gain information or object what they are doing as they are felt that nurses are to

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