An emancipatory study of contemporary nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Studies
• Sociology of Health
• Critical Theory

Background:

• Healthcare system changes necessitate nurse adaptation, including job changes, further education, and entrepreneurship.
• Nursing shortages create significant stress due to increased patient loads and limited resources.
• Understanding nurses' work-life perceptions is crucial for addressing systemic issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' perceptions of their work environment.
• To identify processes enabling nurses to enact change in their practice.
• To empower nurses to move from passive objects to active subjects in shaping their professional history.

Main Methods:

• Emancipatory research design integrating critical inquiry and feminist research principles.
• Dialectical process of reflection and action (praxis) over 6-10 weeks.
• Group process method involving weekly meetings for reflection, discussion, and analysis of current nursing practice.

Main Results:

• Group interaction enhanced awareness, critical reflection on the status quo, and motivation to find solutions.
• Six themes emerged from the data, alongside five identified processes for exploring change.
• Participants shifted perception from being manipulated objects to empowered subjects capable of transformation.

Conclusions:

• The emancipatory process, rather than specific solutions, holds power for individual and group emancipation.
• Nurses are encouraged to adopt group interaction processes to empower their role in creating positive change.
• This approach validates nurses' capacity to derive and implement solutions for an improved nursing practice environment.