Facilitating empowerment groups: dismantling professional boundaries.
The purpose of this study was to identify the issues and the process faced by public health nurses facilitating empowerment groups with people with a chronic and persistent mental illness. Five public health nurses facilitated seven groups which met weekly for a period of one year. Nurses kept field notes following each group session and methods of grounded theory were used to develop an understanding of the process of facilitating empowerment groups. A process of dismantling professional boundaries was identified which included three dimensions: experiencing the clash of worlds; joining the lives of people with a mental illness; and an exploration of professional self. The results highlight the need to challenge traditional ways of practicing.
Byrne
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School of Nursing and Health Systems Research Unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011361:Professional Competence; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*