Beyond These Walls - Public Engagement Colloquium
Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
22nd April 2010 at the Ross Park Hotel, Kells
Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
22nd April 2010 at the Ross Park Hotel, Kells
Theoretical review of public engagement in Nursing: Abstract
by George Kernohan, Professor of Health Research Nursing, University of Ulster
Nursing & health professional have wide roles in care of people in need, in sickness and in health and in supporting their informal carers. These roles, by necessity involve people in various ways: in this paper Hodges Health Career Model (Jones, 2009) is used to provide a framework to underpin public engagement in nursing. The model provides a relatively simple way to think about and summarise the variety of engagement types. It comprises two lines and eight words which appear to provide a graph with two axes. The vertical axis involves the recipients of care: individuals and groups, the other involves the care provider and what they do: from mechanistic to humanistic.
The first quadrant [SCIENCES] deals with scientific response to individual signs and symptoms: where engagement aims to ensure that people comply with the healthcare intervention: engagement is about informing the patient and their informal carer about their physical needs and responses.
The second quadrant [POLITICAL] deals with mechanistic and group activity: for example political interventions to agree rules, policy and systems. Engagement here refers to members of groups working under a specific governance system or approach– activists and unions lobby for change, in this care domain. Arrangements for protection of vulnerable people are set through engagement here. Ethical issues guide the group mechanistic activities.
Thirdly [SOCIOLOGY], there are more humanistic aspects of care: speech, thought, narrative and free text: stories contribute to group actions. Here we have the social and cultural components to remind us that engagement must work in a social context.
The final domain [INTER-intraPERSONAL] emphasises the role of the individual in needing tailor-made care, requiring dignity and respect. Here lies a more holistic type of care and is more ‘mind’ than ‘body’ where interpersonal aspects of engagement are more person-centred.
Across all four care domains, public engagement is a key sustaining action to make the model meaningful but also to provide some reassurance that engagement although complex and varied, can be managed in a logical way to enhance care.
Jones, P. Hodges Health Career - Care Domains – Model. 2009.
http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/ accessed 25/03/2010 [1998-2015]
Chambers, R. Involving Patients and the Public. How to do it better. 2000. Radcliffe, Oxon
Related links:
Kernohan, G. Theoretical review of public engagement in Nursing. Proc 1st Public Engagement Colloquium, Kells, Co Antrim, 22 April.