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Who has the power? Some problems and issues affecting the nursing care of dying patients
VERONICA JAMES,
DAVID FIELD,
VERONICA JAMES
Reader
Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
Search for more papers by this authorDAVID FIELD
Professor of Sociology
University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim BT37 OQB, UK
Search for more papers by this authorVERONICA JAMES,
DAVID FIELD,
VERONICA JAMES
Reader
Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
Search for more papers by this authorDAVID FIELD
Professor of Sociology
University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim BT37 OQB, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Nurses play a central role in the care of dying people, yet they may find themselves marginalized, devalued or in conflict with other health professionals. This paper examines a number of problems and issues related to nursing power and control in the workplace. The factors we consider are:
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the relative effects of personal and structural influences;
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the ‘medicalization’ of dying;
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the demands and challenges of interdisciplinary work;
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ethical issues raised by euthanasia and AIDS;
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patients' rights to make informed decisions about their care;
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philosophies and policies of health care.
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