Nurses and the wise organisation: techne and phronesis in Australian general practice

Nursing Inquiry
Christine Phillips, Sally Hall

Abstract

This paper draws on classical theories of wisdom to explore the organisational impact of nurses on Australian general practice. Between 2004 and 2008, numbers of general practice nurses doubled, the most rapid influx of nurses into any Australian workplace over the decade. Using data from the Australian General Practice Nurses Study, we argue that nurses had a positive impact because they introduced techne at the organisational level and amplified phronesis in clinical activities. In its Hippocratic formulation, techne refers to a field of definable knowledge, which is purposeful and useful and requires mastery of rational principles. Nursing, with its focus on system and accountability, brought techne out of the GP's consulting room and into the general practice as a whole. Nurses also exemplify phronesis, an Aristotelian virtue connoting a reasoned and honourable capacity to make judgements: the practical wisdom that defines the interaction between clinician and patient in general practice. At a time of significant GP shortage, doctors and nurses began to collaborate around their more complex and time-consuming patients, leading to a deepening of phronesis in the workplace. By bringing techne to bear on the organisation, and ...Continue Reading

References

Feb 11, 1989·BMJ : British Medical Journal·C L CooperB Faragher
Dec 1, 1995·International Journal of Nursing Studies·K Cash
Apr 8, 1998·Journal of Nursing Care Quality·A M Dozier
Aug 13, 1998·The Medical Journal of Australia·A L BhasaleH C Britt
Sep 12, 1998·The Medical Journal of Australia·P L Schattner, G J Coman
Jan 14, 2000·ANS. Advances in Nursing Science·C A Warms, C A Schroeder
Aug 15, 2002·Journal of Health Services Research & Policy·David Mechanic
Jul 12, 2003·Journal of Nursing Scholarship : an Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing·Bonnie M Hagerty, Kathleen L Patusky
Nov 12, 2003·The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy·Bjørn Hofmann
May 8, 2004·Complementary Therapies in Medicine·A BensoussanK O'Connor
Aug 20, 2004·Journal of Clinical Nursing·Mona Shattell
Dec 14, 2004·The Medical Journal of Australia·Robert J Birrell
May 2, 2006·The Medical Journal of Australia·Catherine M JoyceJohannes U Stoelwinder
Jul 18, 2006·The Medical Journal of Australia·Meredith A B MakehamSimone Stromer
Apr 28, 2007·Social Science & Medicine·Karen SolheimMi Ja Kim
Mar 14, 2008·Journal of Clinical Nursing·Elizabeth J HalcombRhonda Griffiths
Jul 22, 2009·The Medical Journal of Australia·Christine B PhillipsRachel Yates
Jun 12, 2010·Nursing Philosophy : an International Journal for Healthcare Professionals·Jason S McCready
Feb 19, 2011·BMC Health Services Research·Christopher PearceMarjan Kljakovic

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Nov 4, 2016·Journal of Advanced Nursing·Jane DesboroughJane Mills

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The European Journal of Health Economics : HEPAC : Health Economics in Prevention and Care
Kim Rose OlsenAndrew Street
Journal of Family & Community Medicine
Khalid A Bin Abdulrahman
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
E Gatens-Robinson
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved