The power in the nurse-patient relationship: integrative review

Abstract An integrative literature review was performed by searching seven of the main electronic health databases order to describe and analyse the production of knowledge about the power in nursing care relationships to hospitalised patients. According to the established criteria, 10 articles were selected from the year 2000 to September 2015. The analysis of these data evidenced that the scientific knowledge and the hospital routines and norms are instruments of exercise of power that end up violating the identity of the person who is transformed into a patient. However, the studies revealed that nursing professionals do not always perceive themselves as exercising power over patients, arguing that they act according to the needs diagnosed care, prescribing interventions, not always agreed with the patients, but resolutive. In short, nursing professionals need to reflect on their work processes to perceive themselves as care professionals and to guarantee the space for autonomy.