Currently, nurses have been so much reluctant to engage in some activities such as politics and other useful activities in the society. Most of them, especially the female nurses at times feel that they cannot carry out such activities or rather engaging in those activities. For other reasons, nursing is a more demanding profession that needs much time and concentration throughout the profession (Robert, 2011). Engaging in politics will require much time in dealing with political issues that might not be easy to deal with the professional issues too. Furthermore, nurses have been unable to use their influence in several arenas since most of them deal with a more compromising environment that might not give them that ego that may allow them to have an influence on several issues. In addition, nurses in most occasions have a very fixed schedule while dealing with patients, and thus they might not get that time to engage in political issues or even have influence over some issues.
Important strategies that can be employed by nurses and nursing to ensure a more level playing field is encouraging them to take up such positions in the society. The nursing associations should give nurses equal opportunities to engage in other social responsibilities that will enable them to play more roles in the community (Robert, 2011). They should be given some time so that they can as well engage in important social activities in the society such as being involved in political arena, community leadership roles among other functions that are distinct from their professions. Nurses can as well blend their professions with other professions by taking other courses such as business administration that is not much related to their field of professions so that they can be all rounded and able to take up such roles in the community and the entire country such as politics.
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"Nursing and Power".
The article written by Joyce Hann, titled, “Power dynamics, health policy and politics” is a good article that can empower an individual who has low self-esteem to be more active in the society (Hann, 2009). This article contains some of the most fundamental things that individuals, more so those in the nursing profession can sue so that they can be empowered to take up leadership in their lives.
The best strategy outlined in this article that can empower nurses is the empowering the nurses to take up a legacy of political advocacy. The author cited examples such as Florence Nightingale and Lillian Ward are nurses but have used this legacy to get to political leadership. This is much inspiring and empowering. In the article, the author empowers nurses by telling them that they need to base their political advocacy activities on a more sound understanding of policy, power and politics. Through this, someone is much empowered and be ready to take up some leadership roles within their workplace or any other place they may be (Hann, 2009). The example that is given like that of Florence, who pioneered health, as well as politics in America, are much empowering as I also discover that I have equal capability like hers, and for this reason I can make it.
The only strategy that I might not adopt as illustrated by the author of the article is turning clinical issues into political issues. This is not the right way to go since we also have the need to respect our professions. We should not let other things such as politics and leadership disrupt our professional ethics by mixing our nursing professional issues with the political issues. When this is done, there is likely to have poor professionalism in nursing due to much influence over the political issues.
