Nursing as means of governmentality.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
This paper conceptualizes nursing as a health profession in transformation at the beginning of the 21st century. We frame our analysis using Michel Foucault's concept of governmentality. While extensively quoted and used in other disciplines, the work of the late French philosopher has been cited infrequently in the nursing literature. Yet a closer look at his work reveals how Foucault offers a relevant entry point for revisiting nursing theory and nursing practice.

AIM OF THE PAPER:
aim of this paper is to reflect on nursing practice as it is inscribed within the state's modus operandi. We discuss the prevalent notion that nurses are powerless and suggest they do exercise power in many ways and that they are a powerful group.

RESULTS:
In this paper we show how nursing is a means of governmentality of individuals and of the population because its practices contribute to the management of society through a vast range of power techniques. These techniques range from disciplining individuals to promoting discourses that construct desirable subjectivities. Within this perspective, the emergence of political aspects of nursing theory and nursing practice are made explicit.

CONCLUSION:
We explore the limits and potentials of the concept of governmentality to the understanding of nursing as a health profession. This concept can generate a form of critical immobilism, but also promotes a more politically complex understanding of nursing practice.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Holmes, Dave (D); Gastaldo, Denise (D);

Affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. dholmes(-atsign-)uottawa.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of advanced nursing (J Adv Nurs), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 38 (issue 6) : pp 557-65

Dates: Created 2002/06/17; Completed 2002/10/01; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12067394, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

Modes of rationality in nursing documentation: biology, biography and the 'voice of nursing'. 30 May 2005
The dissection of risk: a conceptual analysis. 28 Feb 2008
Governing nursing conduct: the rise of evidence-based practice. 30 Aug 2002
Clean air works: the Boston experience. 30 Oct 2004
Social regulation, medicalisation and the nurse's role: insights from an analysis of nursing documentation. 21 Nov 2005
The need for tobacco regulation. 30 May 2006
Patients' feelings about ward nursing regimes and involvement in rule construction. 29 Sep 2006
School smoking bans: do they help/do they harm? 30 Oct 2007
Tobacco compliance check in Hong Kong. 30 Jan 2008
School smoking bans. 30 Aug 2008

See 100+ related articles.