5KNIP513 Applied Social Sciences Module Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery Joanna De Souza

September 16 th 2013 to May 12 th 2014 Runs over 8 Mondays With final assessment on 27 th May

AIMS OF THE MODULE: ‘How does who I am affect my health ? ‘

Learning outcomes Through the course, it is hoped that students will:  Discuss the sociological and psychological determinants of health

Recognise impact of own values and beliefs on patient care

Understand the sociological and psychological factors that promote health and recovery.

 Understand the sociological and psychological factors which cause, maintain or exacerbate ill health. Be able to apply this understanding to the healthcare needs of patients / clients / service users in general and to the specific field of nursing (child, mental health, adult).

 To apply this knowledge to understand the difference in healthcare access and utilisation of health services across different populations in London.

 Describe the contribution that social and psychological sciences make to the professional discourse of nursing.  Locate credible sources of social and psychological theory and research that support the rationale for nursing practice.

Sociology Sociology encourages us to view everyday phenomena in a different way. It is like being given a new pair of glasses. Is it common sense ?

Sociology and practice issues (a)Explain your understanding of the term ‘common sense’. (b)Do you think that sociology is ‘just common sense’? (c) How useful is this term when talking to patients? Green and Earle 2009

(b) Imagine a patient experiencing quite severe wound pain two days post-operatively following a cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal). Leaving aside the intervention of prescribed analgesia, what kind of social influences do you think might affect this person’s reaction to pain?

(c) ‘It is the capacity of sociology to take nurses temporarily “out of nursing” that represents one of its strongest attributes’ (Mulholland, 1997, p. 850). What do you think that Mulholland means by this statement?

Sociological perspectives 1.There will always be illness in the world. Illness has a purpose, it fulfils a function in society. People will only work hard to avoid illness if they are rewarded for it more than someone who does not. ……… 2.Illness is another one of the consequences of greed. That is people wanting more than others. Health is an unevenly distributed resource and is kept unequal in societies where those who own the political and economical systems are concerned with seeking profit……. 3.Ideas about health and illness are part of each societies cultural structure. People communicate to each other ideas about their values and their behaviour with regard to health and illness. The ill stay ill because they accept and mutually reinforce the attitudes and practices which got them there in the first place………………………..

Learning practical skills such as taking blood pressures are central to becoming a nurse – but is this the limit of nursing? Sociology IN nursing or Sociology OF nursing What is the difference What have you already studied that falls into these areas What type of sociology most interests you and why?

The National Goals for Health What was the goal of the National Health Service in 1948 when it was first created ? To improve the health: 1) of the population as a whole by increasing the number of years of life and the number of years people spend free from illness 2) of the worst off in society and to narrow the health gap.. (DH, 1998)

What are the most healthy countries in the world ? How do we measure that ? WHO Global Health Statistics List of countries by life expectancy

What is health ? WHO definition of Health Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The Definition has not been amended since What do you think ?

In 1986 the World Health Organisation in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 There was/is some argument that the WHO definition is very bio-medical Restated their definition of health to Health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living...".

Lay definitions of health We will go on in the course to look at a more sociological view of health But what about lay definitions of health, how do people outside of the health care professions define health ?

Health and life styles survey Found a variety of perceptions of health These included some ideas that were rooted in folk lore eg. You can’t swim after a meal, you will catch a cold if you go out in the rain without a hat etc. Health as being not ill Health as energy Health as a function And for some health as a social relationship

What about us ? What are our perceptions of health ? References Denny, E. Earle, S. ( 2010) Sociology for Nurses. Polity. UK