A concept analysis of power

Using Walker and Avant's theory construction strategy, a concept analysis of power was conducted. Within the nursing literature, there exists a dialectic between types of power: power to vs. power over. This dialectic covers a wide range between goal attainment and powerlessness. The aim of this concept analysis was to examine power to for its potential fit with the phenomenon of nurses' lack of participation in professional organizations and on governing boards. The assumptions of this concept analysis are that power to is good, and that as humans with cognitive abilities, nurses have sufficient power to, whether they engage it or not. The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Academic Search Premier, Business Source Elite, Google Scholar, ABI/INFORM Complete, Education Research Complete, Historical Abstracts, and PsychINFO were searched using the keywords power, nursing, and group. Peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles from 1957 to 2019 were considered. The derived definition of power to is largely unchanged from its 17th century definition: the knowledge, freedom, and intention to do or to effect something. Self-assessing and nurturing knowledge, freedom, and intention, and identifying risk-preference among nurses may yield potential candidates for participation in professional nursing organizations and on governing boards.