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Deconstructing the language of psychiatric hospitalization
1Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|May 13, 1999
Summary
This study deconstructs psychiatric nursing documentation, revealing how charting language can obscure patient conditions. Analysis exposes hidden professional assumptions and the social construction of patient problems.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Sociology of Health
- Discourse Analysis
Background:
- Psychiatric nursing documentation is crucial for patient care.
- Existing analysis of charting often overlooks the nuanced language used.
- Post-modern theories offer unique perspectives on professional discourse.
Purpose of the Study:
- To deconstruct the language used in psychiatric nurses' documentation and charting.
- To explore how professional activities in charting may conceal or distort patient conditions.
- To uncover hidden assumptions within nursing discourse.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory study design.
- Content analysis with first and second-level analyses.
- Application of post-modern theoretical concepts, specifically a Foucaultian lens.
Main Results:
- Identified nine major categories of charting entries.
- Demonstrated how deconstruction reveals unspoken elements in nursing discourse.
- Exposed professional assumptions and the social construction of patient issues.
Conclusions:
- The language of psychiatric nursing documentation requires critical deconstruction.
- A Foucaultian lens reveals underlying social constructions and assumptions in charting.
- Understanding these hidden elements is vital for accurate patient representation.
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