title: Nurses' Perceptions of the Concept of Power in Nursing: A Qualitative Research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Power is a complex and extensive concept in nursing, which has a decisive impact on the accomplishment of duties, satisfaction and achievement of professional goals. Explaining the concept of power in nursing from the perspective of nurses and accessing its various dimensions may result in a better understanding of this issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to explore the concept of power in nursing, using the views and experiences of Iranian nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a qualitative research which used a content analysis approach. Participants were selected from among nurses active in clinical, management, and educational practices using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected using a semi-structured individual interview. The results were obtained by analysing the data using an inductive approach and the constant comparison method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants of this study regarded the power of nursing as a positive concept and the issue of power in nursing consisted of three classes, the genesis with the subclasses of "being purposeful", "being under the shadow of the profession nature", "being dependent on the source", strengthening with the subclasses of "being emotional and introverted", "being formed in the context of professional communication", "fluidity and flowing", and the evolution with the subclasses "based on human values", and "being a tool for professional excellence".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concept of power in nursing can be considered a purposeful issue based on the nurses' viewpoint which flourishes in the context of human, moral and caring nature of the nursing profession. According to its dependence on the nature of profession and on the basis of professional communication, Power of nursing grows with a fluidlike flowing structure, linked with human values, reaches maturity and results in outcomes such as improving the quality of care and professional excellence.
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate for Nursing, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman, Iran .
authors.forename: Rana Rezai
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sepasi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbaszadeh
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borhani
authors.affiliation: Faculty Member, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Qazvin School of Nursing and Midwifery, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences , Qazvin, Iran .
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rafiei
keywords: Health occupations; Professional autonomy; Professional communication; Quality of health care