title: The changing 'shape' of the nursing station.
abstract: The Nursing Station is a puzzling structure fulfilling a variety of roles throughout the day. At times, it resembles a communal market place with staff standing around chatting. Yet, once a shift commences, regulatory characteristics emerge to control a person's entry and exit from the ward, by ensuring that they have an authentic reason for being there. This paper juxtaposes the role of the Nursing Station with Strauss et al.'s (1964) notion of shape. In this way, is intended to examine in detail how the Nursing Station can influence the normal and natural flow of work within a ward.
authors.affiliation: The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, The University of Manchester England.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wakefield
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001318:Authoritarianism; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D003142:Communication; D005007:Ethnology; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009042:Motivation; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010550:Personal Space; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012926:Social Control, Formal / Q000379:methods; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013561:Symbolism; D006113:United Kingdom; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration