Thesis
The windmill of rural health: a Foucauldian analysis of the discources of rural nursing in Australia, 1991-1994 (Citation and Abstract only)
Southern Cross University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Nursing
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
1996
Metrics
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Abstract
Using a Foucauldian framework, this study examines the discourses of rural nursing in Australia during the period, 1991-1994. While the discourses of rural nursing of this time are exposed, and some conclusions are offered, there is no claim that these discourses are the same as those prior to 1991, nor will they be the same from 1995 onwards.
To analyse rural nursing discourses it was necessary to consider the discourses which surrounded and impacted upon rural nursing during this time. One of the major influences was the formulation of rural health policy and therefore one Chapter of this study provides an examination of rural health policy at both State and Federal level during the four years of the study period.
The analysis suggests that rural nurses have been normalised, and through the use of tactics to control their practice, have become docile bodies. There is, however, some evidence that rural nurses do use resistance (tactics at the local level) in an attempt to overcome the more dominant discourse of rural medicine, the pedagogical practices of the profession of nursing, and control by employers and the State and Federal governments. It appears the State and Federal governments, the nursing profession, the nursing unions, and the medical profession, either consciously or unconsciously, have devalued rural nursing practice and consequently ensured that the majority of rural lack the knowledge necessary to be considered a speciality within the profession of nursing.
Traditionally, the scope of nursing practice in rural areas has been called 'extended', 'expanded' or 'multi-skilled'. It is apparent that the continued use of these statements has resulted in the subjugation of rural nursing knowledge as these statements suggest that the skills and knowledge belong to other disciplines rather than nursing (for example, medicine, pharmacy and radiography). In this thesis it is argued that rural nurses do not have an extended practice role. Rather, they work in an advanced nursing practice role, and therefore the skills necessary for this role (X-Rays, suturing, defibrillation, administration and dispensing medications) are nursing skills not that of medicine, radiography or pharmacology.
The aim of this study was to expose the discourses of and surrounding rural nursing, as it is from this exposure that rural nursing practice becomes visible. It is apparent that legislation as well as pedagogical practices require change to ensure that rural nursing practice is legitimised and valued and that rural nurses are prepared adequately for the advanced practice role.
Details
- Title
- The windmill of rural health: a Foucauldian analysis of the discources of rural nursing in Australia, 1991-1994 (Citation and Abstract only)
- Creators
- Desley Hegney
- Contributors
- Sandra Carol Speedy (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityAlan Pearson (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Theses
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Nursing
- Number of pages
- x, 364
- Identifiers
- 991012959500302368
- Copyright
- © Desley G Hegney 1996
- Academic Unit
- School of Health and Human Sciences
- Resource Type
- Thesis