VARIATIONS IN HOSPITAL EMPLOYMENT AND INFLUENCE PERCEPTIONS AMONG NURSING PERSONNEL

A survey is reported of 486 employed registered professional nurses in general voluntary hosp's re their perceptions of, & preferences for, the relative influence of various role definers. Nurses were found to perceive & desire 'professional-client' employment systems in which clients (ie, patients) are the most important definers of appropriate role behaviors. Nurses perceived themselves as role performers within a nurse-patient, or professional-client, soc system. The type of employing hospital (county, community or religious ownership) was found to be related to perceptions of the relative influence of patients. Nurses in a county hosp believed patients less influential & their head nurses more influential than nurses in religious & community hosp's. In all hosp's, nurses sought a client-centered employment context in which patients would be more influential & admin'ive officials, such as head nurses, less so. The county hospital in question had the highest nursing personnel turnover & it is suggested that this may 'refleet attempts by nurses to seek out org'al structures facilitating the establishment of client-centered interactions. 2 Tables. Modified HA.