Responsible Subversion: A Study of Rule-Bending Among Nurses

The purpose of this qualitative field research was to explore and describe how nurses bend the rules for the sake of the patient. Responsible subversion is the construct that describes such behaviors. The research purpose and initial data were derived from participant-observation and interview data from a study of unprofessional behavior in hospital-based nurses. In-depth interviews with 21 nurses from four clinical areas provided additional data. The grounded theory method was used for data analysis. Data analysis revealed that given certain conditions—knowledge, ideology, experience—nurses engaged in responsible subversion. Responsible subversion involves four phases: (1) evaluating, (2) predicting, (3) rule-bending, and (4) covering. This conceptualization raises important issues in the area of ethics and the socialization of nurses.