Exploring an alternative metaphor for nursing: relinquishing military images and language

Nursing Leadership
Gail MitchellJoy Richards

Abstract

The language used to describe nursing practice and nursing leadership has a profound influence on how nurses think about themselves, their work relationships, and indeed the very essence of their reason for being. Language often includes metaphor in order to help capture the complexities and layers of meaning that establish contexts for action. Nurses and others have relied on various metaphors to describe nursing work. However, there is one metaphor that, more than any other, has shaped the context of nursing work and formed the images and the meanings that nurses have of themselves and their purposes in practice. The privileged one is the military metaphor. This article explores the notion of metaphor, and its usefulness and potential to help nurses change their work patterns. The traditions and history of the military metaphor are examined and an alternative notion of the "frontier" is proposed in order to enhance understanding of the potential for change.

Citations

May 23, 2015·Journal of Forensic Nursing·Cindy Peternelj-Taylor
Oct 2, 2004·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Gary M Reisfield, George R Wilson
Nov 3, 2016·Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·Peter S Cahn
Oct 22, 2008·International Journal of Palliative Nursing·Marjory Byrne
Nov 23, 2020·Nursing Inquiry·Alan J Kearns
Sep 3, 2021·International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie·Julia Schnepf, Ursula Christmann

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