New rituals for old: nursing through the looking glass

Part 1 Setting the scene: empowerment; change; the characteristics of liberation nursing. Part 2 Liberation nursing: new concepts and old rituals - patient assessment and care planning; primary nursing; nursing models; health education and patient teaching; quality assurance and standards of care; information technology in nursing; research; nurse education; current trends in nurse management. Part 3 Lessons and examples - empowerment of the clinical nurse; the Suffolk revolution; accommodate.

Paperback

The text maps out clearly the origins of ritualistic thinking and then discusses notions of change, empowerment and critical social theory as applied to nursing. The ideas of writers such as Paulo Freire and Patricia Benner are brought together to try and create a tool for the critical appraisal of current nursing issues.Major recent initiatives in nursing are discussed in the light of these findings and the ways in which ritualization can be avoided are explored. Such developments should then facilitate care and liberate nursing practice to enhance professional development. Examples are given of how clinically based nurses can develop their own approach to care. This is a book that can be read at all levels. It is provocative and a source of discussion material and ideas to improve clinical practice.