The evening tea break ritual--a case study

Many nursing scholars, such as Carter (1990), Ford and Walsh (1994), Huey (1986), James (1990), Thomlinson (1990), Larson (1987), Rush et al (1990), Spiller (1992), Street (1990a,b; 1992a,b,c,d), Lawrence (1996), Walker (1967), Walsh and Ford (1989 a,b,c,d; 1991 a,b), have examined the effects of rituals in nursing practice, and have argued for a need to scrutinise these ritual practices because of their negative effect on patients. Other scholars, such as Holland (1993) and Biley and Wright (1997), have argued that these rituals have meanings for nurses. Street (1992c) has argued that rituals are resilient in nursing practice. In order to identify the factors that contribute to rituals' resilience, there is a need to understand their meanings and effects on nurses, and how nurses keep them alive. This study has explored the meanings of the 'evening tea break' ritual to a group of nurses in a medical ward. The study has employed an ethnographic approach, and has found that the evening tea break ritual had affective effects on the participating nurses. It provides the time, space, the process and the environment for nurses to ventilate their feelings, to gain support from each other.