Patient empowerment and patient and public involvement are a focus for NHS policy, with an emphasis on patient decision making and representation as core features of a patient-focused NHS. Patient empowerment and patient and public involvement imply a rebalancing of power in the nurse-patient relationship. In reality this is complicated by wider issues of power and control in a complex health service influenced by professional agendas, healthcare leadership, government targets and a developing business culture. Despite these ideological and organisational constraints, there are many ways in which nurses can support aspects of individual patient empowerment and patient and public involvement.
Nursing Standard. 29, 4, 37-41. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.4.37.e8665
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to double blind peer review
Received: 06 December 2013
Accepted: 14 July 2014
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