A Theory of the Relational Work of Nurses

Abstract

The subject of nurses’ relational work articulates a reality that exists but is not seen. However, it is the awareness of this reality that leads to the discovery of where nurses hold their professional power. A theory of the relational work of nurses is the derived theory presented in this article from the parent theory of the relational work of women (Fletcher, Jordan, & Miller, 2000). The new theory exposes the relational work of nurses as the source of their power and value. It explains the relational dynamics of nurses’ work, its inherent value, and the need for it to be explicitly recognized as the process by which nurses achieve positive patient and professional outcomes. The new theory proposes that because relational work is institutionally “disappeared,” nurses therefore demonstrate lack of caring, patient detachment, and burnout. This theory, if tested, would be an attempt to articulate and make valuable the skills and strengths that nurses enact to get their job done.