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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
arts and humanities
Why Bangladeshi nurses avoid 'nursing': Social and structural factors on hospital wards in Bangladesh
Social Science and Medicine, Volume 64, No. 6, Year 2007
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Description
In response to concerns that nurses spend less than 6% of their time on direct patient care, this study explored factors that influence nurses' behaviour in the provision of 'hands on' care in hospitals in Bangladesh. Through in-depth interviews with female nurses and patients and their co-workers in six hospitals, we identified conflicts between the inherited British model of nursing and Bangladeshi societal norms. This was most evident in the areas of night duty, contact with strangers, and involvement in 'dirty' work. The public was said to associate nursing activities with commercial sex work. As a consequence, their value on the 'bride market' decreases. To minimise the stigma associated with their profession, nurses in government hospitals distance themselves from patients, using nurse surrogates in the form of patients' relatives and hospital support workers to carry out their work. These adaptations are supported and sustained through unofficial activities developed over time within hospitals. In contrast nurses in NGO hospitals give more direct patient care themselves and do not rely on carers as much because of tight supervision and limited visitor hours. Initiatives undertaken to improve the quality of patient care, such as enlarging the nursing workforce or providing clinical instruction, which do not take into account the prevailing culture in hospitals and social conflicts faced by nurses, are unlikely to succeed. Fundamental decisions on how to care for the sick in Bangladesh are required. If the present nursing curriculum is followed, adequate supplies, supervision and accountability are prerequisites for its implementation. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Hadley, Mary
Zambia, Lusaka
Zambian Ministry of Health
Blum, Lauren S.
Bangladesh, Dhaka
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh
Mujaddid, Saraana
South Africa, Johannesburg
Actionaid
Parveen, Shahana
Bangladesh, Dhaka
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh
Nuremowla, Sadid
Unknown Affiliation
Haque, Mohammad Enamul
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Friendship Education Society
Ullah, Mohammad
Bangladesh, Dhaka
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh
Statistics
Citations: 7
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.06.030
ISSN:
02779536
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Approach
Qualitative
Participants Gender
Female