Question

Discuss barriers caused by an organizational culture that can be encountered by nursing leaders that can make them feel powerless.

Answer 1

Organizational culture is considered as a collective system which is governed by common beliefs, customs, values and assumptions. These values and beliefs are commonly shared by all the people in an organization. These factors influence the behavior of the nurses in the healthcare facility in terms of their jobs, acts and dressing patterns. Organizational culture such as teamwork, stability, aggressiveness, emphasis on people, outcomes and innovation can have positive impact over the organization but on the other hand it can also become burdensome to the nurses working in the healthcare department. Barriers such as conflicts among the nurses, unhappy employees, lack of communication and lack of trust can make the nursing leaders feel helpless and powerless. This can certainly be discouraging for the nursing leaders and it can ultimately have a negative impact over the healthcare and the patients. Different people in a healthcare organization come from different environment and cultural beliefs. A single organizational culture can make it difficult for them to adjust in the atmosphere which can result into discouragement and lack of motivation. For example: a nursing leader working independently might feel it difficult to work in teams. This can lead to conflicts and negativity in the working culture which can also make them feel powerless.