Interdisciplinary workshop in the philosophy of medicine: medical knowledge,medical duties

On 27 September 2013, the Centre for the Humanities and Health (CHH) at King's College London hosted a 1‐day workshop on ‘Medical knowledge, Medical Duties’. This workshop was the fifth in a series of five workshops whose aim is to provide a new model for high‐quality, open interdisciplinary engagement between medical professionals and philosophers. This report identifies the key points of discussion raised throughout the day and the methodology employed.     

Conference report: interdisciplinary workshop in the philosophy of medicine: parentalism and trust

On 13 June 2014, the Centre for the Humanities and Health at King's College London hosted a 1‐day workshop on ‘parentalism and trust’. This workshop was the sixth in a series of workshops whose aim is to provide a new model for high‐quality open interdisciplinary engagement between medical professionals and philosophers. This report briefly describes the workshop methodology and the discussions on the day.     

Troubled lives: chaos and trauma in the accounts of young people considered ‘at risk’ of diagnosis of personality disorder

This study explores accounts provided by 27 young people who had contact with an early intervention service for young people considered to be ‘at risk’ of diagnosis of personality disorder. These accounts, developed from semi‐structured interviews, focussed on their experiences prior to and since referral, which normally followed an episode of extremely risky behaviour such as self‐harm or a suicide attempt. Analysis provided three themes. These focussed on the chaotic lifestyles of the young people, which were punctuated by episodes of self‐harm and other risky behaviours; the unsupportive or traumatic relationships with parents and partners, which culminated in a toxic mix of isolation and self‐blame and the role of case coordinators. The lack of stable adult relationships is evident. Findings suggest the establishment of stable, supportive adult relationships with a view to providing a problem‐solving approach with the aim of guiding young people away from risky acts and their traumatic consequences may be fruitful. The challenge is to find a sustainable way of establishing such a model outside of paid relationships. The other challenge is to develop research approaches with similarly placed young people, which enable ongoing contact.     

‘Looking like a bad person’: vocabulary of motives and narrative analysis in a story of nursing collegiality

Collegiality among nurses is necessary for the accomplishment of the tasks of care, for safety and quality improvement and for professional self‐regulation. Nurses, especially in hospitals, are more likely to work in groups than other professionals, yet those relationships have not been well explored. Bullying, intimidation and fear are frequently identified, while respectful disagreements are rarely described. In this paper, a single story by a nurse about her conversational conflict with another nurse is given a close reading. I use the ‘triadic line’ of William Carlos Williams to format an extended excerpt of interview text, in order to make visible the rhythms and organization of spoken language. Mills' concept of a ‘vocabulary of motives’ is used to examine the rhetorical strategies deployed by each nurse. Finally, I analyze the narrative structure of the story, highlighting the ways that moral certainty and uncertainty function to involve the reader in the story, and the complex role of virtue in nursing discourse.     

Working in a ‘third space’: a closer look at the hybridity,identity and agency of nurse practitioners

Nurse practitioners (NPs), as advanced practice nurses, have evolved over the years to become recognized as an important and growing trend in Canada and worldwide. In spite of sound evidence as to the effectiveness of NPs in primary care and other care settings, role implementation and integration continue to pose significant challenges. This article utilizes postcolonial theory, as articulated by Homi Bhabha, to examine and challenge traditional ideologies and structures that have shaped the development, implementation and integration of the NP role to this day. Specifically, we utilize Bhabha's concepts of third space, hybridity, identity and agency in order to further conceptualize the nurse practitioner role, to examine how the role challenges some of the inherent assumptions within the healthcare system and to explore how development of each to these concepts may prove useful in integration of nurse practitioners within the healthcare system. Our analysis casts light on the importance of a broader, power structure analysis and illustrates how colonial assumptions operating within our current healthcare system entrench, expand and re‐invent, as well as mask the structures and practices that serve to impede nurse practitioner full integration and contributions. Suggestions are made for future analysis and research.