The Great Divide: The Culture of Bedside Nurses and Nurse Managers

As a career bedside nurse, I felt privileged to share my knowledge of moral distress at a nursing symposium. The feeling of achievement soon turned to disillusionment when I was informed that the content was inappropriate and biased. I began researching hospital work culture, which yielded knowledge that was validating and enlightening. I hope to extend this insight to others.

At the symposium, I presented Magnet™-oriented solutions to help alleviate moral distress. The areas that drew ire were physician–nurse collaboration and the image of nursing. Here is a contextual summation of what I shared with the nurse audience, followed by an exploration of the etiology behind the critiques and some suggestions to change the culture of nursing so as to empower those at the bedside.