Health promotion as empowerment: suggestions for changing the balance of power

Abstract

Healthcare in the 1990s demands an actively involved patient. This article explores oppression theory and its relevance to primary care practice. Specifically, it analyzes the impact of the domination of the medical model on patients and nurses and suggests a process to empower both through "liberating education:" Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advised to review issues of control and power in their relationships with patients in order to empower them and help them find their voice. To do this, NPs need to analyze and explore their own experiences with powerlessness and how these impact their practice. Implications for the education of future NPs are also discussed.