WHAT MATTERS AT WORK: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF NURSES’ SOCIAL RELATIONS IN A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Access status:
Open Access
Type
ThesisThesis type
Doctor of PhilosophyAuthor/s
Nepali, ShobhaAbstract
In line with global migration, nurses in Australian workplaces come from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds and have various levels of skills and experience. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides an interesting context to study the complex and challenging social ...
See moreIn line with global migration, nurses in Australian workplaces come from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds and have various levels of skills and experience. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides an interesting context to study the complex and challenging social relations among the diverse nursing workforces. Drawing on Budd (2019), social relations of work are understood as shaped by social exchanges, organisational culture, and power relations. To explore what matters at work for neonatal nurses, this study examines how such social relations are constructed, guided by the following research questions: What are the cultural practices of the NICU? How do nurses experience their everyday work life in the NICU? How are nurses’ social relations of work affected by the NICU? An ethnographic approach was adopted as the method because of its ability to examine every day social practices in the workplace. Data collection involved 18 months of fieldwork, including observation of 76 nurses working in the unit and interviews with 65 of these nurses. Intersectionality theory was used as a framework to analyse and interpret the subtleties of social relations between nurses across various social positions. How nurses relate at work is central to this thesis. Relations based on trust and reciprocity assist nurses to work together. Opportunities to learn and grow within the workplace and the support of senior nurses are essential. Being recognised, included, encouraged, and looked after at work allowed the nurses to ‘have a good shift’. However, the disparity in trust, along with a lack of support, was found in workplace relations with nurses of colour. These nurses experienced systematic disadvantage and were subject to deskilling and barriers to career progression. Diversity in the workforce was narrowly practised, as nurses of colour seemed to merely make up workforce shortages rather than appreciated for their expertise. Following Ahmed (2012), this analysis demonstrates how diversity policies programmed for inclusion are instead a veil for continuing discrimination. Such practices build an unhealthy workplace culture experienced by nurses and have implications for social relations of work and patient safety. Considering how cultural safety might guide social relations between nurses at work offers opportunities for authentic engagement among nurses.
See less
See moreIn line with global migration, nurses in Australian workplaces come from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds and have various levels of skills and experience. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides an interesting context to study the complex and challenging social relations among the diverse nursing workforces. Drawing on Budd (2019), social relations of work are understood as shaped by social exchanges, organisational culture, and power relations. To explore what matters at work for neonatal nurses, this study examines how such social relations are constructed, guided by the following research questions: What are the cultural practices of the NICU? How do nurses experience their everyday work life in the NICU? How are nurses’ social relations of work affected by the NICU? An ethnographic approach was adopted as the method because of its ability to examine every day social practices in the workplace. Data collection involved 18 months of fieldwork, including observation of 76 nurses working in the unit and interviews with 65 of these nurses. Intersectionality theory was used as a framework to analyse and interpret the subtleties of social relations between nurses across various social positions. How nurses relate at work is central to this thesis. Relations based on trust and reciprocity assist nurses to work together. Opportunities to learn and grow within the workplace and the support of senior nurses are essential. Being recognised, included, encouraged, and looked after at work allowed the nurses to ‘have a good shift’. However, the disparity in trust, along with a lack of support, was found in workplace relations with nurses of colour. These nurses experienced systematic disadvantage and were subject to deskilling and barriers to career progression. Diversity in the workforce was narrowly practised, as nurses of colour seemed to merely make up workforce shortages rather than appreciated for their expertise. Following Ahmed (2012), this analysis demonstrates how diversity policies programmed for inclusion are instead a veil for continuing discrimination. Such practices build an unhealthy workplace culture experienced by nurses and have implications for social relations of work and patient safety. Considering how cultural safety might guide social relations between nurses at work offers opportunities for authentic engagement among nurses.
See less
Date
2021Publisher
University of SydneyRights statement
The author retains copyright of this thesis. It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. It must not be used for any other purposes and may not be transmitted or shared with others without prior permission.Faculty/School
Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Nursing SchoolDepartment, Discipline or Centre
Nursing and MidwiferyAwarding institution
The University of SydneyThe University of Sydney
Share