Holistice Nurse Entrepreneurs: Their Motivations and Their Charactristics
Graduation Date
2003
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Nursing
Department or Program Chair
Barbara Ganley, PhD
Thesis Advisor
Luanne Linnard-Palmer, EdD, RN
Abstract
The rapidly changing health care environment has only recently begun to encompass complementary and alternative medicine. Change is an environment where entrepreneurs thrive and yet there is very little exploration in nursing literature as to what characterizes entrepreneurial nurses, and none exploring holistic nurse entrepreneurs. This phenomenological study explored the motivations for starting a business and the characteristics of five holistic nurse entrepreneurs whose sole source of personal income was from their businesses. Four interrelated motivational themes and ten characteristics emerged from the data analysis, revealing some significant differences between the study entrepreneurs and other women entrepreneurs. This was particularly noted in the areas of self care and spirituality.