Question

The clinical nurse leader makes out the daily assignments. One staff nurse tells another,

Last week I was asked to change my days off so the clinical nurse leader could go to a play in
another city. I told the clinical nurse leader I couldn't do it. Ever since then, I've been given the
most difficult patients on the unit for my assignment. The staff nurse can label this type of power
as:

A) Inherent
B) Referent
C) Legitimate
D) Expert

Answer 1

The staff nurse can label the clinical nurse leader's power as Legitimate, which refers to the authority derived from the leader's role within the organization. However, if this power is misused for personal reasons, it becomes an abuse of the legitimate power granted by the position.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a staff nurse suspects that they have been assigned the most difficult patients as a result of not accommodating the clinical nurse leader's personal request, the type of power at play can be described as Legitimate power. This form of power is based on the position of authority within the organizational structure, which in this case, is the authority that the clinical nurse leader holds to make daily assignments. Although the power is legitimate due to the role, its misuse to handle personal matters or to retaliate against staff for personal reasons can lead to an abuse of that power, undermining trust within the team.