Date of Award
Fall 12-7-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Chair
Dr. Marti Jordan
Committee Chair School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Member 2
Dr. LaWanda Baskin
Committee Member 2 School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Member 3
Dr. Debra Copeland
Committee Member 3 School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Member 4
Dr. Lachel Story
Committee Member 4 School
Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice
Committee Member 5
Dr. Elizabeth Tinnon
Committee Member 5 School
Professional Nursing Practice
Abstract
Nurses comprise the largest workforce in health care but lack power despite their numbers. Nurses have suffered short-staffing, burnout, job dissatisfaction, unsafe work settings, and cumbersome technology for decades. The dialysis nurse manager is an important component of the dialysis unit and plays a role in the retention and recruitment of nurses. Using a case study approach this qualitative, thematic analysis described dialysis nurse managers’ perception of power in dialysis units. A review of the current research revealed a gap involving dialysis nurse managers’ perception of power in the dialysis unit. The following research question was developed: • How do nurse managers perceive power in the dialysis unit? • Subquestions were developed using Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, with specific attention to lines of support and productive power (Kanter, 1979). Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment (1979) guided this study as the role of the dialysis nurse manager as a liaison between the organization administrators and the nursing staff. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse managers’ perception of power or powerlessness in a managerial role in a dialysis setting. A qualitative case-study approach using thematic analysis was utilized and Zoom® interviews were conducted with select dialysis nurse managers in Forrest and Lamar County in Southern Mississippi which described the perception of power in the dialysis unit. Purposive sampling of dialysis nurse managers known to the researcher was used to recruit participants. Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s (2012) thematic analysis to code and identify themes of the interview data. The study findings were perception of power (have or do not have), shared power (staff education, power over assignment, listen and learn), value (employee of the year, reward, bonus, verbal), and support (did the right thing, did my job). Overlapping themes developed from the data, which resulted in the following labeling of themes: Value, Shared Power, Support, Empowering Characteristics, and Perception of Power.
Recommended Citation
Griner, Janie, "Perceived Power by Nurse Managers in Dialysis Units: A Qualitative Case Study" (2023). Dissertations. 2198.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2198