The theory and practice of the 'new nursing'

This exploration of contemporary nursing ideology and practice is based on a belief that the occupation has entered a period of major change, partly prompted by an internal reform movement which may be described as the 'New Nursing'. This movement is a complex phenomenon; here I focus on aspects of it which concern changes (actual and proposed) in the practice of nursing in British general hospitals. This study was conducted as part of a Master's degree in medical sociology. It therefore adopts a sociological perspective, aiming both to bring the discipline's general perspectives to an analysis of contemporary nursing, and to explore specific sociological studies which can develop that analysis. In so doing it incorporates a literature review and personal observation of a nursing unit which explicitly attempted to practise the New Nursing.