Nursing
Does equating status with authority cause confusion? Why or why not?
As a professional nurse, what are some ways in which you are able to reach out to members of the community who do not have access to healthcare reform?
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Solution
Does Equating Status With Authority Cause Confusion?
Hierarchy will be a fundamental aspect of social life among human beings. Hierarchy will often emerge spontaneously from the interaction between people. In healthcare organizations, it can be both explicit and implicit. Some of the major dimensions of the social hierarchy are status and authority. Status can therefore be defined as the respect, prestige, and esteem that an individual will enjoy in the eyes of others. Status is an index of social worth that others will ascribe to a given group or individual (Sepasi, 2016). Status originates externally and will be determined by external evaluations of a given individual from others (Sepasi, 2016). On the other hand, authority is related to the power that an individual has. Power is therefore conceptualized as being able to control critical resources in a given society (Akioyamen, 2014).
Equating status and authority can therefore cause confusion because individuals of high status in society might not occupy positions of authority in some instances. For example, a professional in a certain discipline might have authority derived from their knowledge and experience even though they may come from low-status groups. Although status is earned by proving once worth, authority can be earned by people of low status who are able to influence others (Sepasi, 2016).
Reach Out To Community Members
As a professional nurse, some of the ways that I can be able to reach members of the community who do not have access to health care reform is through community visits. Community visits can help a professional nurse to understand the healthcare needs of underserved communities and to actively lobby the necessary authorities to enact healthcare reforms that target the underserved populations.
References
Sepasi, R. R. (2016). Nurses’ Perceptions of the Concept of Power in Nursing: A Qualitative Research. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. Published. https://doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2016/22526.8971
Akioyamen, L. (2014). Power in individuals, groups and the nursing profession: an exposition.
International Journal of Nursing Student Scholarship. 1.