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Caring for the older person: an exploration of perceptions using personal construct theory.

Caring for the older person: an exploration of perceptions using personal construct theory.
Caring for the older person: an exploration of perceptions using personal construct theory.
Background: there is a reluctance among nurses to enter elderly care.
Objective: to discover nurses' perceptions of the elderly patients in their care.
Method: after a period of participant observation, we selected 26 nurses from among those working in two elderly-care rehabilitation hospitals. Interpersonal perceptions were investigated using personal construct theory. We elicited personal constructs, produced repertory grids and rated patients according to popularity.
Results and conclusions: the most common way of perceiving patients was in terms of mental or physical dependence. Health-care assistants were more likely than staff nurses to perceive patients in terms of their personality. Nurses tended to have simplified ways of perceiving their patients. Popular patients were always mentally intact.
nursing practice, perception of old people
0002-0729
399-402
Cooper, Sarah A.
c477ea40-2025-4dc3-947d-5002aeaa2422
Cooper, Sarah A.
c477ea40-2025-4dc3-947d-5002aeaa2422

Cooper, Sarah A. (2001) Caring for the older person: an exploration of perceptions using personal construct theory. Age and Ageing, 30 (5), 399-402.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: there is a reluctance among nurses to enter elderly care.
Objective: to discover nurses' perceptions of the elderly patients in their care.
Method: after a period of participant observation, we selected 26 nurses from among those working in two elderly-care rehabilitation hospitals. Interpersonal perceptions were investigated using personal construct theory. We elicited personal constructs, produced repertory grids and rated patients according to popularity.
Results and conclusions: the most common way of perceiving patients was in terms of mental or physical dependence. Health-care assistants were more likely than staff nurses to perceive patients in terms of their personality. Nurses tended to have simplified ways of perceiving their patients. Popular patients were always mentally intact.

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More information

Published date: 2001
Keywords: nursing practice, perception of old people

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 39945
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/39945
ISSN: 0002-0729
PURE UUID: ad25108a-6425-4b26-be42-f6d83b0f9376

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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2006
Last modified: 07 Jan 2022 22:26

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Contributors

Author: Sarah A. Cooper

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