Organizing context: Nurses' assessments of older people in an acute medical unit

Joanna Latimer*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The paper presents findings from a study of how older people are assessed and cared for in an acute medical unit. The aim of the study was to reconsider nurses' assessment practices in relation to organisational context. Drawing together ethnographic methods with discourse analysis, the study develops an approach to studying nurses' assessment practices and aims to demonstrate that nurses go beyond entering their relationships with patients as individuals. Rather, nurses' assessments of patients can be considered as processes of alignment that help nurses accomplish complicit managerial and medical objectives, and shape their own identities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)43-57
Number of pages15
JournalNursing inquiry
Volume5
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1998

Keywords

  • Culture
  • Ethnography
  • Identity
  • Interests
  • Nursing assessment
  • Organization

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