Understanding Vulnerability: A Nursing and Healthcare Approach

The notion of vulnerability is critical to person–centred high–quality nursing and healthcare practice, and underpins all nursing education. Understanding Vulnerability: A Nursing and Healthcare Approach focuses on the vulnerability experienced every day by patients and clients in healthcare, and provides clear and supportive guidance to nurses and other healthcare practitioners on protecting and caring for vulnerable patients. Taking a fresh, critical and reflective perspective that highlights current trends towards the promotion of equality and acknowledges everyone’s vulnerability, this book is essential reading for all nursing and healthcare students, as well as healthcare practitioners who are committed to providing personcentred care. SPECIAL FEATURES • One of the first books to address the issue of vulnerability from a nursing and healthcare perspective • Written by a group of experienced professionals, academics and educationalists with both educational and research expertise in the exploration of vulnerability • Includes narratives, perspectives and case studies, illustrating and bringing to life the issues within the book

Notes on contributors viii 1 Introduction 1 Vanessa Heaslip and Julie Ryden 2 Understanding vulnerability 6 Vanessa Heaslip 3 Power, discrimination, and oppression 28 Julie Ryden and Chris Willetts 4 Processes of oppression 65 Julie Ryden 5 Professional culture and vulnerability 91 Karen Cooper and Janet Scammell 6 The social construction of vulnerability 111 Janet Scammell and Gill Calvin Thomas 7 Psychological perspectives of vulnerability 132 Nikki Glendening and Sid Carter 8 Psychosocial experiences and implications of vulnerability 154 Chris Willetts, Gill Calvin Thomas and Vanessa Heaslip 9 Working to reduce vulnerability 177 Chris Willetts, Julie Ryden and Gill Calvin Thomas 10 Conclusion 209 Julie Ryden and Vanessa Heaslip Index 218

ABOUT THE EDITORS Vanessa Heaslip is a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. Clinically she worked as a District Nurse and specialist practitioner for older people. Julie Ryden is a Senior Lecturer at Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. Clinically she worked as a District Nurse. Vulnerabil