Responsibility, authority, autonomy, and accountability— these terms are frequently heard in nursing today, and they are often used interchangeably. Yet each denotes a specific concept. Seeking to clarify the distinction among the four concepts, Batey and Lewis studied the literature and asked directors of nursing to define the terms. In a two-part series for JONA, they share the results of their work and raise some important questions concerning the true meanings and existence of autonomy and accountability in nursing service today. In Part 1 the authors focus on responsibility, authority, and autonomy as preconditions for accountability. Their discussion and selected statements from directors of nursing highlight key aspects of the concepts and bring them into clearer perspective as they pertain to the organization of nursing service.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Batey et al. (1982) studied this question.