Entrepreneurial nurses in the literature: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Aim: This study explores the main characteristics of entrepreneurial nursing. Background: Nurses have acted entrepreneurially in a multitude of ways since the very beginning of the nursing profession. Still, it is unclear what it means for a nurse to be entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurial nurses are often described inconsistently, by non-inclusive terms not founded in research. There is a need to examine the essence of entrepreneurial nursing roles. Evaluation: I conducted the research as a systematic literature review of 647 documents. Analysing empirical descriptions of entrepreneurial nurses' employment status, contexts, knowledge, activities, barriers and motivations led to the description of two entrepreneurial nursing roles. Key issues: The employment status of entrepreneurial nurses represent an important difference in their activities, challenges and motivations. Conclusions: Entrepreneurial nurses may act as nurse entrepreneurs or nurse intrapreneurs. These roles are empirically rooted in the field of nursing, and theoretically rooted in the field of entrepreneurship. Implications for Nursing Management: Entrepreneurial nurses are influenced by the support they get and the challenges they face in the healthcare system. Knowing the characteristics of entrepreneurial nurses are important for nurse managers, as they lead employees who may become nurse entrepreneurs or nurse intrapreneurs.

Entrepreneurship and nurse entrepreneurs lead the way to the development of nurses’ role and professional identity in clinical practice: A qualitative study

“…In the transition into a nurse entrepreneur, the nurse entrepreneurs often encountered the prejudices that entrepreneurship removes nurses from the nursing profession and that the nursing profession cannot be combined with entrepreneurship and still be nursing: *Nurse entrepreneur refers to nurses that autonomously drive an entrepreneurial process through new venture creation, for instance, by establishing health care institutions or home visit services and products (Neergård, 2020). ; **Nurse intrapreneur refers to nurses that initiate an entrepreneurial process as an employee in an established public or private organization/institution, for example, entrepreneurs who do not own a business of their own, but acts as corporate employee entrepreneurs (Neergård, 2020). The quote shows that nurse entrepreneurs face prejudice about being money-driven rather than helping patients and the healthcare system.…”

“…Nurses get motivated by different factors when they enter entrepreneurship (Neergård, 2020); however, it is common that many nurses do not see themselves fit in the new role as an entrepreneur (Arnaert et al, 2018). The literature suggests that one of the reasons is that entrepreneurs differentiate in personality traits and characteristics compared to the general population (Sankelo & Akerblad, 2008).…”

“…Furthermore, the literature suggests that nurses lack education, knowledge and skills within business, as the business field is not an integrated part of the nurse's professional identity (Arnaert et al, 2018;Neergård, 2020;Sharp & Monsivais, 2014). These educational knowledge gaps therefore become a significant challenge for the nurse in the transition to entrepreneur.…”

“…Well, the typ- According to the nurse entrepreneurs, prejudices of others were created by the media, which may have an impact on people's perception of the entrepreneurial role and values: Some of the people I worked closely together with while I was an employee in the hospital encountered me with "Oh, now you are also a business owner and now you just want to rip us off and make money on this" (P5). *Nurse entrepreneur refers to nurses that autonomously drive an entrepreneurial process through new venture creation, for instance, by establishing health care institutions or home visit services and products (Neergård, 2020). ; **Nurse intrapreneur refers to nurses that initiate an entrepreneurial process as an employee in an established public or private organization/institution, for example, entrepreneurs who do not own a business of their own, but acts as corporate employee entrepreneurs (Neergård, 2020).…”

“…Inspired by the two entrepreneurial nursing roles presented in a literature review by Neergård (2020), the term entrepreneurship in this article covers both nurse entrepreneurs and nurse intrapreneurs (Neergård, 2020), for example, the term entrepreneurship both entails the creation of a new product and/or company inside and outside an already existing organization (Nielsen et al, 2014).…”