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Nursing on the medical ward.
1School of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Level 1, 723 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia. judithp@unimelb.edu
Nursing Inquiry
|December 17, 2004
Summary
This study explores how taken-for-granted nursing practices, like managing patient emotions and limiting communication, negatively impact nurses. Clinical supervision is suggested to improve understanding and the nurse-patient relationship.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Psychoanalytic Theory
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Contemporary medical nursing faces challenges in managing patient care.
- Psychoanalytic theories offer insights into taken-for-granted nursing practices.
- Nurses' everyday work involves imposing order on destabilized patient circumstances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of three specific nursing practices on nurses.
- To examine how traditional, unquestioned practices affect nurses' well-being and professional identity.
- To propose clinical supervision as a solution for enhancing nurses' understanding and role.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of nursing practices through a psychoanalytic lens.
- Examination of three specific taken-for-granted nursing behaviors.
- Exploration of the consequences of these practices on nurses.
Main Results:
- Nurses' tendency to 'present a caring self' can lead to stress.
- Minimizing patient meaning in communication can undervalue nursing skills.
- The 'policing' role in patient confinement creates ambiguity and impacts the nurse-patient relationship.
Conclusions:
- Taken-for-granted nursing practices can have detrimental effects on nurses, including stress and confusion.
- These practices can negatively impact the nurse-patient relationship and devalue nursing expertise.
- Clinical supervision is recommended to help nurses understand their roles and relationships more effectively.