Part 1

In your opinion, what are the three most important power sources for a nurse leader? Why?

The three most important power sources for nurses in my personal opinion are the following:

Expert power refers to such power that can influence others by using knowledge and skills. Experience knowledge and skills together make an expert power that is possessed by nurse leader and transferred to other nurses during practice of nursing. (The Sentinel Watch, 2010).  For a nurse leader to have the respect of those around him or her, I believe that first and foremost they must have the confidence that their leader knows what they are doing.  If the leader isn’t capable of doing the job, how can they be capable of supervising or evaluating my performance?

Coercive power refers to authority of a nurse leader i.e. nurse leader can impose penalties or punish other nurses by taking their privileges if they are not doing a good job. If nurses are not doing satisfactory job, nurse leader ensures that every nurse is doing a good job and ensuring patient’s satisfaction. The truth is that the underlying fear of retribution for poor performance comes into play at some point for most employees. 

 Reward power depends on the ability of the person who holds power to confer valued material rewards.The reward source of power depends on the ability of one person to grant another some type of reward for specific behaviors or changes in behavior. Nurses, in their daily provision of care, can use this source of power to influence client behavior as well as others employees.

 So I think that these power sources are most important in nurse leader as these powers influence directly to nurses and help them to get educated punctual and skillful at the same time.

How are they best used in a leadership role? Describe                                                   

Power sources are best used in leadership role as these powers are true essence of the leadership. Nurse leader empowered by skills and expertise will be a good mentor and a working role-model for the junior staff nurses. Her/his authorities to keep a strict check on them give them a sense of responsibility. On one hand, reward for doing great job gives them a challenging, encouraging and motivating working environment; meanwhile, a threat to punish can bring best out of them.  A nurse leader makes best use of her power sources by supervising and managing the duties of nurses to satisfy patient’s demands. (Yapton, 1998)

What sources of power do you see most often displayed in your work environment? Why?

Part 2

 You brought up a good point about coercive power. In health care coercive power is used to maintain standards. Many nurses think that this type of power is negative, but this is not always the case. Several times we must protect other staff and our patients from dangerous situations or incompetent care. The human resource roles are used to uphold many standards for employees, and coercive power is used to sustain them (Stapleton, 2017). The leader must be careful how they use this power, but using it is not a negative situation unless it is done in a ruthless and unfair way. It is a leadership skill to know how to use all the types of power they possess. Have you had a situation where another employee was suspended or fired after an incident? Do you think the use of coercive power was fair in this situation?