Power and Politics

1
Power and Politics

• Unit II

2
Politics

• What image comes to mind when you hear the word
  politics?
• Is politics always a formal process?
• Nurses must realize that involvement in the
  political process is a vital tool to learn in
  order to carry out the mission of their work with
  maximum impact.

3
Politics Defined

• influencing the allocation of scarce resources
• Vital tool enables nurse to nurse smarter
• Involvement in process gives nurse the tools to
  augment his/her power to improve patient care

4
Skills Necessary to be Politically Savvy

• Ability to analyze an issue
• Ability to present a possible resolution in clear
  and concise terms
• Ability to participate in a constructive way
• Ability to voice ones opinion
• Ability to analyze and use power bases

5
Power

• What is power?
• How is power achieved?

6
Five Laws of Power

• 1 Power invariably fills any vacuum
• 2 Power is invariably personal
• 3 Power is based on a system of ideas and
  philosophy
• 4 Power is exercised through and depends on
  institutions
• 5 Power is invariably confronted with acts in
  the presence of a field of responsibility

7
Five Sources of Power

• Reward Power
• Coercive Power
• Legitimate Power
• Referent (mentor) Power
• Expert (informational) Power

8
Nurse Practice Act

• State statute
• Defines and limits the practice of nursing
• What constitutes authorized practice
• Scope of practice

9
Political Action Committee

• Affiliated with organizations (e.g., ANA)
• Mechanism where individuals can pool resources
  and collectively support a candidate
• ANA 4 points regarding PACs
• Political focus
• No legislative activity
• Not dirty
• Health concerns only

10
Strategies to Affect Laws Governing Nursing
Practice

• Gather data
• Communicate concerns
• Clearly state what is needed/wanted
• Submit written summary of request with rationales
  to appropriate person(s)
• Establish coalition
• Remember to include examples of persons affected
  by issue/concern
• Get involved with other issues/concerns

11
Lobbying

• Attempt to influence of sway a public official
  to take a desired action
• Characterized as the education of the legislator
  about nursing and its issues

12
Lobbying a Legislator

• Initially meet and evaluate as a candidate.
• Provide information on how to vote on an issue
• Contact Legislator
• Face-to-Face contact
• Letters
• Phone calls
• E-mail

13
Controversial Political Issues Affecting Nursing

• Uniform Core Licensure Requirements
• Competence framework
• Mutual Recognition
• Interstate Licensure Compacts

14
Nursing and the National Labor Relations Acts
(NLRA)

• NLRA federal law labor relations in the private
  business sector
• Extended to voluntary, nonprofit health care
  institutions in 1974
• Grants employees the right to form, join, or
  participate in labor organizations
• Gives right to organize and bargain with employer
  through representation

15
Collective Bargaining

• activities occurring between organized labor and
  management that concern employee relations
• Negotiation of formal labor agreements
• Day-to-day interactions between unions and
  management
• Tool to force positive change vs. restriction of
  freedom, flexibility, and professional judgment
  of RNs

16
Motivation to Join or Reject Unions

• Increase the power of the individual
• Desire to have input into organizational decision
  making
• Need to eliminate discrimination and favoritism
• Social need to be accepted
• Union contract dictates that all nurse must
  belong to the union (closed shop)

17
Initiating Collective Bargaining

• Demonstrating adequate level of desire for
  unionization
• NLRB requires that 30 of classification sign an
  interest card (unions often require 70)
• Call for Vote
• 50 1 (simple majority) of petitioned unit
  required to select or rejects unionization

18
Controlling Nursing Practice

• Nurse Practice Committees
• Means of communicating concerns to administration
• Shared Governance
• Activities that address nurse participation in
  control of practice
• Clinical or Career Ladders
• To recognize long-term career nurses who remain
  clinically oriented
• Negotiations
• Peer elected negotiators to represent group
• Strikes/Labor Disputes
• Last resort
• Mediation mandated