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Structures of District Nurse : Patient Interaction

Leppänen, Vesa LU (1998) In Lund Dissertations in Sociology
Abstract
This dissertation is about social interaction between Swedish district nurses and patients when they meet to perform such routine things as to measure blood pressures or give injections. Conversation analytic methodology is used to explicate interactional structures and to understand how they come about; (i) how tests and treatments are achieved; (ii) how concerns are introduced; (iii) how test results are talked about; and (iv) how advice is given and responded to. These interactional structures are also related to the institutional contexts to which nurses and patients are oriented when they interact. Thus, a more traditional ethnographic approach is used as a complement to conversation analytic methodology.



Data... (More)
This dissertation is about social interaction between Swedish district nurses and patients when they meet to perform such routine things as to measure blood pressures or give injections. Conversation analytic methodology is used to explicate interactional structures and to understand how they come about; (i) how tests and treatments are achieved; (ii) how concerns are introduced; (iii) how test results are talked about; and (iv) how advice is given and responded to. These interactional structures are also related to the institutional contexts to which nurses and patients are oriented when they interact. Thus, a more traditional ethnographic approach is used as a complement to conversation analytic methodology.



Data consists of ethnographic material, primarily nurses’ textbooks, interviews with nurses, and observations of nurses’ meetings with patients. Data also consists of 64 audio and video recordings of encounters between 17 nurses and 58 patients. 32 of these recordings have been transcribed and analyzed in detail.



District nurse-patient interactions occur in rather straightforward ways. This interpretation is strengthened by comparisons between these interactions and interactions in other institutional settings (between health visitors and first-time mothers, HIV counselors and clients, doctors and patients). The main reason for the straightforwardnesses is found in the nature of district nurses’ work: They meet patients in order to perform tests and treatments, which are unproblematic manual activities. The verbal activities that are generated during these meetings tend to become rather straightforward. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Silverman, David, Goldsmiths' College, University of London
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
primary care, patient, social interaction, conversation analysis, ethnomethodology, ethnographic method, district nurse, Care and help to handicapped, video analysis, Handikappade, vård och rehabilitering
in
Lund Dissertations in Sociology
issue
25
pages
256 pages
publisher
Department of Sociology, Lund University
defense location
Carolinasalen, Kungshuset
defense date
1998-09-28 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUSADG/SASO--98/1120--SE
ISSN
1102-4712
ISBN
91-89078-44-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6916748d-82e7-4873-9d6a-bc8896122381 (old id 18651)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:12:32
date last changed
2021-12-20 10:16:58
@phdthesis{6916748d-82e7-4873-9d6a-bc8896122381,
  abstract     = {{This dissertation is about social interaction between Swedish district nurses and patients when they meet to perform such routine things as to measure blood pressures or give injections. Conversation analytic methodology is used to explicate interactional structures and to understand how they come about; (i) how tests and treatments are achieved; (ii) how concerns are introduced; (iii) how test results are talked about; and (iv) how advice is given and responded to. These interactional structures are also related to the institutional contexts to which nurses and patients are oriented when they interact. Thus, a more traditional ethnographic approach is used as a complement to conversation analytic methodology.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Data consists of ethnographic material, primarily nurses’ textbooks, interviews with nurses, and observations of nurses’ meetings with patients. Data also consists of 64 audio and video recordings of encounters between 17 nurses and 58 patients. 32 of these recordings have been transcribed and analyzed in detail.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
District nurse-patient interactions occur in rather straightforward ways. This interpretation is strengthened by comparisons between these interactions and interactions in other institutional settings (between health visitors and first-time mothers, HIV counselors and clients, doctors and patients). The main reason for the straightforwardnesses is found in the nature of district nurses’ work: They meet patients in order to perform tests and treatments, which are unproblematic manual activities. The verbal activities that are generated during these meetings tend to become rather straightforward.}},
  author       = {{Leppänen, Vesa}},
  isbn         = {{91-89078-44-6}},
  issn         = {{1102-4712}},
  keywords     = {{primary care; patient; social interaction; conversation analysis; ethnomethodology; ethnographic method; district nurse; Care and help to handicapped; video analysis; Handikappade; vård och rehabilitering}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{25}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Sociology, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Dissertations in Sociology}},
  title        = {{Structures of District Nurse : Patient Interaction}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}