File spoon-archives/marxism-psych.archive/marxism-psych_1997/marxism-psych.9710, message 18


Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 15:03:24 -0400
From: Ben Davidson <Ben_Davidson-AT-compuserve.com>
Subject: M-PSY: Advert: PSYCHIATRIC NURSING  - ETHICAL STRIFE


PSYCHIATRIC NURSING  - ETHICAL STRIFE
Edited by Phil Barker and Ben Davidson
Published by Arnold, London

Although the popular view is that care and treatment of people with mental
illness rests in the hands of psychiatrists, in reality psychiatric nurses
are by far the biggest group of mental health professionals; spend the most
time with people experiencing mental illness; and dispense the great
majority of psychiatric care and treatment.   More than any other mental
health professionals, psychiatric nurses have the power both to facilitate
the recovery process and to compound further people's difficulties. Not
infrequently, the effects of nursing intervention - especially in
institutional settings - have been directly harmful.  

The importance of psychiatric nursing as a power for good or ill has long
been recognised. In the mid 19th Century the English alienist John Connolly
admitted that:
        "All [the physician's] plans, all his care, all his personal
labour, must be counteracted, if he has attendants who will not observe his
rules."
        (1856)

In Connolly's day, the assumption was that attendants - later to become
nurses - existed only to do physicians' bidding. Although contemporary
psychiatric services have changed greatly in the intervening years, the
ethical literature in psychiatric nursing continues to suggest that nurses'
core function is to support the execution of medical practice.  Such
literature focuses on dilemmas arising for nurses as they assist doctors in
physical treatment; dispensing medications; and implementing mental health
legislation. Little has been written about the ethical dilemmas involved in
the nurse's role as advocate, companion, therapist or fellow pilgrim to the
person in mental distress.  The ethical dilemmas involved in these other
roles arise from a philosophy of psychiatric care markedly different from
that of traditional biomedicine and psychology.  This is the philosophy of
care deliniated in Barker and Davidson's text, highlighting the politics of
mental illness, the social context of personhood and the spiritual
dimensions of mental health.

'PSYCHIATRIC NURSING - ETHICAL STRIFE' is an international collection of
reflections on such ethical issues for psychiatric nurses and for society=2E 
These reflections are drawn from the everyday world of delivering care,
treatment, therapy and other forms of support, across all areas of mental
health services. Consideration of more abstract philosophical issues has
been kept to a minimum, in an effort to address directly the nurse's
experience of ethical uncertainty, as well as the possible means of
resolution - ethical strife. The text is designed primarily to serve as a
source of stimulation for the individual reader, providing an opportunity
to reflect further on the implications of ethical issues for their own
practice. Given the multifarious nature of explanatory models and treatment
modalities, and also the personal nature of ethical striving, the editors
have discouraged any 'oracular' solutions to readers' dilemmas. Instead,
the authors expect that their contribution will challenge the reader to
review their existing ethical perspective, in the true spirit of education.


The authors are drawn from the United Kingdom, the USA, the Caribbean and
Australasia, and are mainly psychiatric nurses whose thinking is rooted in
experience of practice.  Other authors represent a variety of disciplines -
user-advocacy, psychiatry, social work and psychology - and all have strong
connections to psychiatric nursing practice.  They are all authors whose
work informs the ethical debate.

Major changes are taking place in mental health service delivery and many
more changes have been mooted regarding the role and preparation of
psychiatric nurses.   In the developing debate over the 'true needs' of
people in mental distress, and the 'proper means of responding' to such
needs, ethical challenges are already emerging for nursing and for society.
 In this climate of emerging controversy, PSYCHIATRIC NURSING - ETHICAL
STRIFE is likely to become a landmark text.

For further detail on contents and contributors please visit the website
at: "http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Ben_Davidson/E_Strife.htm"

If you do not have access to a web browser, or to order a copy, e-mail the
editors at:
"Ben_Davidson-AT-compuserve.com" 
or the publishers at:
"Arnold-AT-hodder.co.uk"

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone or any groups who might
be interested.
                                        Ben Davidson and Phil Barker


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