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Is the doctor-nurse game being played?
1School of Health, University of Wolverhampton.
Nursing Times
|December 21, 2012
Summary
The doctor-nurse game, theorized by Leonard Stein, persists despite nursing professionalization efforts. While Stein initially believed it had ended, this analysis suggests it continues, albeit in evolving forms within healthcare dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Medical Sociology
- Healthcare Professional Dynamics
- Nursing Studies
Background:
- Leonard Stein's 1970s "doctor-nurse game" theory described a covert communication dynamic.
- Stein's 1990 revision suggested the game had ceased due to increased nurse assertiveness.
- Nursing professionalization and identity negotiation have occurred since the theory's inception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the continued existence of the doctor-nurse game.
- To assess the impact of nursing professionalization on the doctor-nurse relationship.
- To explore the persistence of covert communication in doctor-nurse interactions.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of the doctor-nurse game theory.
- Review of literature on nursing professionalization and identity.
- Sociological interpretation of contemporary healthcare interactions.
Main Results:
- The author posits that the doctor-nurse game, contrary to Stein's 1990 revision, continues to exist.
- Changes in nursing professionalization have not eliminated this dynamic.
- Denials from the nursing establishment do not negate the game's persistence.
Conclusions:
- The doctor-nurse game persists despite efforts to professionalize nursing.
- The dynamic has evolved rather than disappeared.
- Further research is needed to understand the nuances of the contemporary doctor-nurse relationship.
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