The human factor |
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Authors: | B. HILL RMN S. MICHAEL RMN MBA |
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Affiliation: | Nurse Manager, Mental Health Concern, Newcastle upon Tyne;Divisional Nurse header, Mental Health Division, Newcastle City Health Trust |
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Abstract: | Defining the core activity of psychiatric nursing is helpful if the discipline seeks profession-alization. A definition offers a sense of stability within the current culture of change in care provision. However, core activity may be incongruent with postmodern ideas and practice. The Paper attempts to square this circle. It addresses the complexity of describing core activity when this is based on implicit knowledge of practice, based in art rather than science. Using a phenomenological research approach, the research involved encouraging psychiatric nurses within residential schemes to consider the meaning of their concrete activity. Initial findings suggest that the core activity is working with extraordinary people within 'ordinary' relationships, and in 'ordinary' contexts. |
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Keywords: | art and science core activity implicit knowledge phenomenology postmodernism |
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