Towards anti-oppressive practice in mental health nursing

Abstract

Working in Partnership, the Department of Health's report on the 1994 review of mental health nursing, implies that mental health nurses should develop anti-oppressive approaches to nursing practice. There is a notable absence of articles within the nursing literature which specifically address this issue. This is possibly because the historical and ideological issues which have informed the development of mental health nursing are complex and difficult to unravel. However, an integration of the theories of David Cooper and Frantz Fanon may provide an appropriate starting point for the development of a theory of anti-oppressive practice which addresses some of the issues specific to mental health nursing.

Dissociative identity disorder and the nurse–patient relationship in the acute care setting: An action research study

“…Positivist inquiry emphasizes objectivity and hypothesis testing (Bland, 1995). Nurses and patients are too often left out of service evaluation and, as a result, there is a paucity of knowledge relating to how nursing care contributes to mental health outcomes (Hopton, 1997).…”

Exploring Family-Centered Care Among Pediatric Oncology Nurses

“…It entails the nurse to include the patient in decisions about care and treatment options. According to Hopton (1997), antioppressive practice seeks to overcome inequalities in power and encourage partnership in work. Anti-oppressive practice places the nurse and patient at the same level and seeks to empower patients and their families.…”

The nurse’s role in the management of aggression

“…Mental health legislation has a major influence on how the risk of aggression posed by mentally ill individuals is managed. The Mental Health Act (1983) (Department of Health and Social Security 1983) was designed to govern the care and treatment of individuals subject to compulsory intervention, and is concerned with the protection of the public as well as individual rights (Hopton 1997). However, issues of power and control have been consistently found to take a precedent over a care philosophy, with specific individuals such as women and certain ethnic groups disproportionately affected (Rogers & Pilgrim 1996).…”