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The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings. / Alexandra Vanta Sardani

Swansea University Author: Alexandra Vanta Sardani

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity is increasing and due to its associated co-morbidities (WHO, 2011) obese people are at greater risk of being hospitalised. While it is evident that student nurses will increasingly be caring for obese patients, there has been a scarcity of studies exploring student nurses&#...

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Published: 2014
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42600
first_indexed 2018-08-02T18:55:06Z
last_indexed 2019-10-21T16:48:07Z
id cronfa42600
recordtype RisThesis
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spelling 2018-09-03T10:08:48.2376202 v2 42600 2018-08-02 The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings. 8dbb46b980f43024e78be5d7a48b3d1d NULL Alexandra Vanta Sardani Alexandra Vanta Sardani true true 2018-08-02 The prevalence of obesity is increasing and due to its associated co-morbidities (WHO, 2011) obese people are at greater risk of being hospitalised. While it is evident that student nurses will increasingly be caring for obese patients, there has been a scarcity of studies exploring student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity and participation in obese patients' care. The aims of this study were to explore student nurses' care of obese patients and the meaning they assigned to obesity. I utilised an ethnographic approach that included 305 hours of participant observation of student nurses (n=11), qualified nurses (n=11), nurse managers (n=3) and health care assistants (n=10) in three hospital settings in Wales (orthopaedic, gynaecological-surgical, and respiratory). Data also included semi-structured interviews with student nurses (n=7), documentary analysis and the technique of drawing pictures. The thematic analysis generated three themes: 'student nurses' encounters with obese patients', 'constructing the meaning of obesity: the culture and context of care', and 'the consequences of student nurses' involvement with obese patients' care'. Student nurses found the intensity and frequency of their involvement with obese patients' care challenging, particularly in the areas of interaction, food and nutrition, physical care and moving and handling. Integral to their conceptualisation of obesity were student nurses' cultural norms and values, their limited knowledge regarding obese patients' care, professional socialisation, organisational constraints, and patients' contribution to their care. Student nurses felt disempowered because of the emotional and physical labour they experienced when caring for obese patients. In turn, they participated in the exercise of power over obese patients with both intended and unintended consequences. Equally important was the 'covert liking' (Johnson, 1997) that some students felt towards obese patients who engaged in empowering acts of care to compensate for others' controlling behaviours. The findings provided insights into the student experience of caring for obese patients and raised issues related to the role of culture and context of care in student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity. Drawing on Foucault's (1976) notion of power facilitated understanding of the significance of obesity-related discourses and associated power inequalities in clinical practice. Changes in nurse education and practice are proposed to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to care for obese patients. E-Thesis Nursing. 31 12 2014 2014-12-31 COLLEGE NANME Swansea University Medical School COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Doctoral Ph.D 2018-09-03T10:08:48.2376202 2018-08-02T16:24:29.8057994 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Medicine Alexandra Vanta Sardani NULL 1 0042600-02082018162507.pdf 10805358.pdf 2018-08-02T16:25:07.2300000 Output 11873630 application/pdf E-Thesis true 2018-08-02T16:25:07.2300000 false
title The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
spellingShingle The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
Alexandra Vanta Sardani
title_short The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
title_full The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
title_fullStr The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
title_full_unstemmed The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
title_sort The social meaning of obesity: An ethnographic exploration of student nurses' care of obese patients in hospital settings.
author_id_str_mv 8dbb46b980f43024e78be5d7a48b3d1d
author_id_fullname_str_mv 8dbb46b980f43024e78be5d7a48b3d1d_***_Alexandra Vanta Sardani
author Alexandra Vanta Sardani
author2 Alexandra Vanta Sardani
format E-Thesis
publishDate 2014
institution Swansea University
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str Swansea University Medical School - Medicine{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Medicine
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description The prevalence of obesity is increasing and due to its associated co-morbidities (WHO, 2011) obese people are at greater risk of being hospitalised. While it is evident that student nurses will increasingly be caring for obese patients, there has been a scarcity of studies exploring student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity and participation in obese patients' care. The aims of this study were to explore student nurses' care of obese patients and the meaning they assigned to obesity. I utilised an ethnographic approach that included 305 hours of participant observation of student nurses (n=11), qualified nurses (n=11), nurse managers (n=3) and health care assistants (n=10) in three hospital settings in Wales (orthopaedic, gynaecological-surgical, and respiratory). Data also included semi-structured interviews with student nurses (n=7), documentary analysis and the technique of drawing pictures. The thematic analysis generated three themes: 'student nurses' encounters with obese patients', 'constructing the meaning of obesity: the culture and context of care', and 'the consequences of student nurses' involvement with obese patients' care'. Student nurses found the intensity and frequency of their involvement with obese patients' care challenging, particularly in the areas of interaction, food and nutrition, physical care and moving and handling. Integral to their conceptualisation of obesity were student nurses' cultural norms and values, their limited knowledge regarding obese patients' care, professional socialisation, organisational constraints, and patients' contribution to their care. Student nurses felt disempowered because of the emotional and physical labour they experienced when caring for obese patients. In turn, they participated in the exercise of power over obese patients with both intended and unintended consequences. Equally important was the 'covert liking' (Johnson, 1997) that some students felt towards obese patients who engaged in empowering acts of care to compensate for others' controlling behaviours. The findings provided insights into the student experience of caring for obese patients and raised issues related to the role of culture and context of care in student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity. Drawing on Foucault's (1976) notion of power facilitated understanding of the significance of obesity-related discourses and associated power inequalities in clinical practice. Changes in nurse education and practice are proposed to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to care for obese patients.
published_date 2014-12-31T13:35:37Z
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