RN-OPINION-study

Nurses are the center of a wide range of social and professional debates related to, for example, labor market shortages, job differentiation and academization. Nurses are the ideal spokesperson, translator and interpreter for the nursing profession and advocate for valuable care. This requires nursing opinion leadership to influence policy making processes and public debates.

The aim of the project is to explore – together with the nursing field – the concept of public opinion leadership: characteristics, consequences, and its influence on the public opinion, policymaking and politics.

- A current and comprehensive definition of public opinion leadership in the context of daily nursing practice.
- Process and content evaluation of a national public opinion leadership program in the context of nursing practice; impact on participants beliefs, views and skills regarding public opinion leadership in nursing practice.

01 September 2018 - 01 January 2023

"Powerful, influential and visible nurses who steer the nursing and societal debate in their role as opinion leader. Together we stand for this transition"
Josien Engel en Pieterbas Lalleman (Hogeschool Utrecht) - Dieke Feliksdal (NU’91)

An action-based research approach in which a public leadership program is designed, conducted and evaluated. A concept analysis of public opinion leadership in the context of nursing practice has been conducted and elucidated a current and comprehensive definition of public opinion leadership.

A qualitative impact study that provides further insight in the manifestation of public opinion leadership in the nursing practice (data collection has been completed in 2020).

Thorough insight in the concept of public opinion leadership can serve as a starting point for further debate regarding involvement and influence of nurses; thereby possibly accelerating this process.

Dutch Nursing Labor Union NU’91