Power is an attribute that nurses must cultivate to
be able to practice more autonomously. It is through
power that members of an occupation are able to
raise their status, define their area of expertise, and
achieve and maintain autonomy and influence. In
this way, autonomy reflects the ability to act according
to one’s knowledge and judgment. The original
Magnet hospital study also recognized that the
power base of staff nurses emerged from nursing
leadership, whose power came from staff members,
hospital administrators, and boards of trustees