Registered nurses' perception regarding the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region

Abstract

This study investigated the registered nurses' perceptions of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The study further sought to describe how power affects the role of registered nurses in an organisation that is perceived to be predominantly bureaucratic in its' approach to management. A quantitative descriptive exploratory approach was adopted. Data was drawn from 121 respondents by random distribution of questionnaires to three selected health care services in the Tshwane metropolitan region. The findings revealed that registered nurses were largely divided in their perception of the bureaucratic view of power in health care services. Almost half of the respondents indicated that great strides had been taken by organisations in transforming health care services in accordance with the White Paper (1997) on Transformation of the Health System in South Africa and the recommendations of the 2001 Health Summit. The others indicated that registered nurses still needed to break out of the restraints of their dependant role towards taking ownership of health care services by equally bearing the burden of the organisation with management.